A few weeks had passed since he and Neil came upon a strange sight of a man they met crushing a smoking rat under his boot. Though, they brushed it off as the guy not liking rodents.
Norman rested his chin in his hand, college enrollment coming up. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to be, or do. He yawned, glaring at the papers on his lap. He spent most of his time enjoying horror movies or like in middle school, trying to clear his family name.
A few ghosts helped him, with suggestions and even things he'd be interested in.
He could get into writing, he was working on a novel about Aggie Predergast. Or, maybe film, he did love those movies and practically lived one out. He sighed.
"What are you sighing for, Norman?"
He glanced up, seeing his grandmother float beside him. He smiled. "Just trying to figure out school."
He'd given up quickly on convincing his grandma to move on, that he was fine, but...she still loved her television.
"Ah, that college stuff. You know your parents aren't forcing you to go. Just take a bit to think about what you want to grow to be. Heck, just pick something and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work."
He felt the cold of her hand on his shoulder even through his black zombie jacket and two sweaters.
"Babcock! Get your pet off me!" Norman jumped, being startled and looked over, a tall twing of a woman walking up, a scowl on her face and Neil trailing behind her.
Norman sighed. "Neil, Coraline doesn't like you trailing her."
Neil walked away from her, eyeing her as he went to sit next to Norman. "Sorry, Coraline. I can't really stop him."
Coraline stood in front of him, her arms crossed, brown eyebrow quirked. "Good, then that means I can punch him."
Neil whined. "Come on, Cora, why won't you date me? Just one?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I told you. I know you're a great guy, but I like someone else. I even told you I had a boyfriend. So...DROP. IT."
Neil shrugged, blowing air out his mouth, a "psht" noise, waving his hand and rolling his brown eyes. "Yeah, like I believe you. You don't even have proof."
Norman hit the back of his head. "Neil! She doesn't need proof. What's gotten into you? So she's not interested, leave it."
Coraline took a deep breath, breathing heavily out her nose. "Exactly. I was gone for a week, man. I like you as a friend, like we've been for 2 years. But suddenly after I come back after a week of absence, you're clingy. Stop."
Neil seemed to process and nod quietly. Coraline did the same. "Now...I was coming over to say, Wybie will be visiting with some friends of his this weekend and staying for a bit. He hasn't specified how long, so," She glanced to Norman, her blue hair behind her ear and lighter brown eyes looking to him, "Norman, do you have an extra room at your place? This small town doesn't really have a hotel and I'll be having either Bruno or Wybie with me, but that's the extent to how many guys my parents will allow in the house, especially since moving. So, it's just theor other friend, I haven't met him yet, so I guess we can play it by ear." She shrugged.
Norman thought, they did have his sister's room, it was empty and meant to be a guest room since Courtney left for a cheerleading institute where she was planning to become a professional. But, he didn't know this person and neither did Coraline. He'd ask his parents if Coraline said the person was okay. Guess they'd have to wait.
"Who's Bruno?" Neil asked. They both knew Wybie, he having visited sometimes, he was an inventor with a mechanics scholarship. Apparently Coraline and Wybie knew each other since before middle school.
Coraline rolled her eyes. "Bruno Jenkins. He's a Nutritionist, or going to be. He grows his own produce too. He's still shy about his weight so he hasn't sent me any pictures."
Norman blinked. "So he's the boyfriend?"
Coraline smirked. "Yep. I met him with my parents at a Farmer's Market about a year ago. He's awfully sweet, though whiny." She shrugged.
Neil began the game of 20 questions, Coraline began to picker, not wanting to deal with some of the questions Neil asked.
Norman looked off, aside from Neil, everyone Norman knew, knew what they were going to do. He sighed then smiled. He'd worry later.
During the week, Coraline tried helping them find out who the mystery friend was, but Wybie simply answered once with a, "Not now, busy packing." and left it there. That text sent Coraline down a path of vengeance most the week. They knew, Wybie was going to get a beating for brushing Coraline off like that.
They all sat nar the bus stop, waiting for the group to show, Friday afternoon upon them. Wybie told them they'd be on the #62 bus. and that they had their bigger bags mailed to Coraline's place. Norman and Coraline had come to a conclusion, that at least for that night, Wybie would sleep at Norman's and the other two at Coraline's, her parent's having more faith in their daughter than his had in strangers.
The breeze was crisp and the air began to fog, most the trees barren for Winter, the snow not having come yet.
The bus they were waiting for pulled up and as some strangers came out first, then Wybie, holding a mouse cage, looking back before spotting his friends.
"Coraline, take this, will you?" His hair was still a mess, he wore a skull bandana and a black sweater under overalls.
Coraline approached and scrunched her nose. "Mice...my favorite."
Wybie rolled his eyes. "They're normal mice, Coraline. They belong to my friend, so please be nice. I'm gonna help Bruno."
Wybie did just that as Coraline set the mice, a blanket over the top, next to Norman and Neil, both not sure what to do or help with yet.
He came out again with 2 suitcases, Neil getting up to help grab them. Once Wybie stayed outside, a brunette came out, he wore a jacket, jeans, and he was a bigger girth. He was helping some one out, the other walking with a beautifully carved walking stick.
"Easy, mate. Don't want to agitate it, you know." Bruno spoke with a heavy accent. The other nodded, not able to brush Bruno off.
It was quiet after they were off and the bus drove away. The blonde Bruno was holding pushed him away, standing straighter, a grimace on his face as he tried straightening his back. He wore a thick fur lined leather jacket, a navy blue turtleneck sweater and black jeans.
Norman's breath caught. He'd know those jade eyes and aviator glasses anywhere. He approached, trying to help. Luke locked eyes with Norman, his brows rising.
"Oh, ho, why if it isn't Doll-face. Didn't know you'd be 'ere." The smile on his face fell as he gasped, his back bending, he gripped the stick tight.
"Luke, what did I say?" Bruno scolded.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Wybie pointed between the two.
Neil came up, having been putting the cases and mice in the van, his brother gifted it to him when he got a different car. Neil paled and spoke before Norman could explain how they knew each other.
"Oh, fuck, not you again!"
Coraline quirked her brow, looking between the three. Luke was chuckling through his pain and Norman face-palmed.
"Okay, first, since my parents are out on a date, we'll head there and get this guy somewhere to rest and second, I need answers. Neil, you drive. Norman, help Bruno get Luke in."
All the guys obeyed. No one crosses Coraline Jones when she's on a mission.
The car ride was silent save for Neil's taste in music, Luke's pained breaths and Bruno rummaging through their luggage seeming to be looking for pain killers.
Luke held the mouse cage between his legs as he sat, Bruno scolding about how he was sitting would aggravate his injury.
Norman held out his hand. "I can hold them if you're hurting."
Luke looked to him and after biting his lip, thinking, he gave them over. "Be careful. That's Will an' Mary, my mice."
Norman only nodded, catching the jade green eyes with his again.
They first got Luke settled on the couch, he refused to be in a bed if they were all plotting downstairs. Bruno set a pillow under Luke's hips as he laid on his stomach, his arms resting to pillow his head as it faced them. Wybie brought their stuff up to the guest room, not quite unpacking since they all still had things to go through, like who'd stay where and those things. So, with Luke on the couch, Will and Mary still in their cage, Coraline refusing to let them roam as they pleased, they sat in a circle. Norman sat near the head of the couch as Wybie took one chair, Neil taking another and Bruno and Coraline shared the loveseat.
A silence stretched for a moment until Luke broke it, a pained whine escaping his pale lips as he went to adjust where the pillow sat.
"Bruno, where are they?"
Bruno looked concerned but sighed. "We ran out and haven't ad time to order more. If you wouldn' ave agravated it, you'd be at least able to sit normally. Now, I think Cora is terrifying, so, mind telling us how you met her friends? Maybe it'll take the edge of pain off talking." Bruno got up, Coraline telling him where the ibuprufen was, hoping that'd help.
Norman just wanted to know how he got hurt. Or where the injury was.
Luke sighed, poking Norman's earring. "Met em' at a place I was eatin'. They were spyin' on ginger's brother."
Coraline bristled. "Neil!"
Neil put his hands up. "I was curious, okay?!" Neil glared at a smirking Luke, "And no fair, you dick, don't put it all on me! You're the one who decided to flirt with my friend and being a fucking creep! Also, my name is Neil, not 'ginger', that's a color." he huffed.
Bruno came back, helping Luke with the medicine before poking his lower back, Luke yelled, burrowing his face in his arms until he could breathe again.
"Bruno, what the fuck?!"
Bruno sighed. "Seems you hurt it more than you let us believe. The poke was also for being a creep again. I swear, it's all because of your grandmother." He looked to Norman and Neil. "Sorry about him."
Norman shook his head. "It's okay, but, shouldn't you not hurt him? How is he hurt anyway?" Norman turned his head, not expecting Luke's to be so close.
Bruno went to answer, not having a qualm about blabbering.
"Don't you dare Bruno."
Bruno scoffed. "It's no big deal, Luke. They've dealt with the supernatural too. Or so Coraline has told me."
Luke groaned, moving his head closer to Norman's shoulder.
Coraline didn't say anything about Luke's behavior, but she did clear her throat.
"So, you guys met at some point but then what? Just sitting at dinner?"
Bruno nodded taking a seat next to Coraline. "I'd like to know as well, Luke. You didn't say anything about meeting some new people. Were you out on your own again?"
Norman observed Luke's reaction, he startled though when he felt Luke clamp one hand on his shoulder, trying to sit up.
"Yes, I was out on my own. Not that you and Wybie were much help, Wybie working on an invention and you were ogling your phone all night."
Norman turned, putting his hand on Luke's. "Maybe you should lay back down. I don't think the medicine would have effected yet."
Luke looked to him but didn't listen. He quirked his lip at Norman.
"Thanks, Doll, but I'm fine."
"Will you quit calling him that?! His name is Norman. NORMAN!" Neil butt in, trying to defend his friend. This only made Luke get up, he reached for his cane and went towards his mouse cage. Upon taking out the mice and putting them in his pocket, he looked over to Norman.
"Norman." His nose scrunched. "I don't like it. Doll rolls off the tongue better. I'm taking Will and Mary out."
Bruno got up. "No you don't. You are resting, for once in years, Luke...REST!"
"You know he isn't gonna listen, Bruno." Wybie said off-hand, as he worked over some blue prints.
Bruno sighed, then became calm. "You know what your grandma would say."
Luke sighed and glared at Bruno. "That's low." He looked to Norman. "Mind helping me to the bathroom for a bath? It might help." He smiled gently.
Norman nodded, Luke handed him the mice as they went upstairs, Luke having to go slower.
"So, this is the hot and cold settings, they're opposite cause of the wiring was off, but, um, then you just do this and that plugs it." Norman showed him the settings before he realized Luke was removing his clothes already. Norman's eyes widened and he turned his head, but saw a large bruise on Luke's lower back, along with scars.
"What happened to your back anyway? Last I saw you, you walked fine." Norman set the mice on the counter.
Luke hummed. "I was hunting and got hurt in an area that was already fragile. You can go, Doll. Thanks." Norman nodded, feeling his cheeks pink at the nickname. He knew he should be offended by the name, but, how Luke said it, it sounded like an endearment, so, Norman didn't mind.
When he got downstairs, Bruno was nodding off on the loveseat. Coraline was in the kitchen, judging by the empty living area.
"That boy is stubborn." Norman jumped, looking beside him he saw an elderly woman he didn't know. She had a thick accent similair to Bruno and occasonally Luke, when he'd let it slip. She wore a sweater jacket with an argyle pattern and held a cigar. 'Oh. She's dead.' Norman thought.
"Who?" He asked.
Neil must've left, judging by the absence of his shoes and Wybie was engrossed in his own thing.
"Luke. My grandson. Bruno is right. The boy needs rest." She puffed.
Norman's eyes softened. He laughed lightly. "He seems like it. Too much energy?"
The woman shook her head. "No, I'm afraid. He might tell you in time. Though, neat little power you got. Communicating with the dead?"
Norman tensed. "Ah...not really. It's passed through my family. We used to be accused of being Witches actually."
The woman snorted. "I've seen the advertising for this little village. Idiotic. Real Witches aren't so obvious. I know there's one in this town though. You must see it too. Though, maybe not if you aren't searching."
Norman cocked his head. He didn't think he'd seen anyone recently deceased. The woman patted his head, the cold chill going through his scalp.
"Just let Bruno know, Helga says there's a Witch and Luke needs to be watched."
Norman scrunched his brows. "Why does Luke need to be watched?"
But, Helga, was gone.