"I'm sorry I fucked everything up on your day off, Bea," Mae said quietly.

"You didn't, Mae. It's fine. And it turned out fine," Bea replied. She yawned. "Although I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow…"

"We can visit!" Mae said.

"I'd sure appreciate it," Bea replied.

Mae began to say something, then stopped as they heard the distant sound of a train. "I love that sound," she whispered. "I used to hear it in my room, like, fifty feet from here. At night, laying there in my bed. It was like...the town was telling me goodnight."

Bea laughed. "You're so weird, Mae."

"I know." A few seconds of silence passed. "...Bea?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, for when I made you so mad in your room."

"...it's okay, Mae."

"I made you really, really mad."

"Yeah, you did."

"I'm sorry."

"I know, and it's okay. You said some really stupid shit, but I know what you were trying to say. I know you just wanted me to be happy, and I was, and really still am, in a terrible situation that has no real solution, and you don't really understand that."

"I do!"

"Do you? Your solution was just: you should quit and run away. That's not a plan, Mae, that's what you do when a plan fails...Trent, are you still awake?"

"Yep," he replied, "Tremors quote, I like that movie...don't let me interrupt."

"This feels weird to talk about with you here," Bea said.

"It's important," Mae said. "And...you're right. I guess, I didn't have a solution to the problem, and that made me angry, and kind of freaked out, because I was so scared that you're just going to be trapped in that job forever, always angry, always bitter, always miserable, and it scared me. When I get scared and angry, I get stupid. I run away, I guess. I don't want you to be sad, Bea."

"I know, and I appreciate that, Mae. We'll...get it sorted out. Somehow."

"I want to help," Trent said.

"That's sweet, but...I'm not technically your girlfriend come tomorrow morning. I gotta head out of here by, like, seven thirty. I've got my alarm set, by the way."

"I don't care if you're my girlfriend or not," Trent said, "you're my friend. I want you to be happy too, you know."

"I appreciate that," she murmured, getting closer to him and Mae beneath the blankets. Mae was in the middle this time.

They'd hung out with Greg and Angus for several more hours before Bea ended up taking them home so they didn't have to walk through the dark and the cold, and then she'd come back and they'd hung out for awhile longer, eventually going to bed. Bea had tried for sex, but she'd found that she was getting sore and really did need a break, something apparently Mae either was ignoring or didn't have a problem with.

Bea had been happy enough to watch the two of them go at it for awhile before finally they all settled in for sleep.

"I don't know how you could help," Bea said finally. "It'd take like the lottery or something. I can't just walk away. Even if I had something else lined up, I need to help my dad."

"Maybe you should talk to him," Mae said.

"Uh, you saw how well that went," Bea muttered.

"Yeah, but...you should still try. I don't know. I mean, you yelled at him yesterday and it worked! Maybe you just need to let him know how, like, serious it is, how bad it is," Mae said.

"She has a point," Trent agreed. "Sometimes people think a situation is fine if it goes on smoothly for long enough. Even if they're blinding themselves to stuff that should be more obvious, and it takes like something serious to clue them into the fact that the situation is, in fact, fucked."

"...maybe you're right," Bea muttered.

"Yay! I'm right!" Mae cried.

Bea sighed. "I'll see what I can do. Honestly though, listening to me bitch and moan, giving me weed, and food, and massages, and a place to just fucking chill, that helps more than you can imagine. You two are, like...you're really great for all this. I don't really know how to thank you."

"The sex is pretty great for that," Trent said.

Mae giggled. "It totally is. I love watching you two go at it. Like, Bea, O M G, you are so fucking hot." She paused. "Sorry, I don't mean to weird you out."

"No, I get it. I mean, I told Selma she looks good naked. I mean you do too, Mae. I'm straight but, like, I can appreciate naked chicks as much as you two. And I appreciate it. I got that going for me at least."

"You really do," he said, reaching over and running a hand across her collarbone.

She shivered. "That's...sensitive."

"In a good way or a bad way?" he asked.

"Good way. Very good way."

"I'll keep it in mind."

They wished each other goodnight, and fell asleep to the sound of distant trains.

"You really not gonna tell me?" Mae asked.

"Nope, I'm really not going to tell you," Trent replied.

She groaned, tugging on his hand as they walked down the street. "Come on, dude! I'm your girlfriend!"

"Uh, yeah. I know."

"Why won't you tell me!?"

"Mae...do I really need to explain to you how presents work?"

She heaved a heavy sigh and growled at him. "Fine. Fucker...did you buy something for Bea?"

"Yes," he replied. "But don't tell her. Don't tell her that I bought anything for her."

"Why?"

"Because I think she might feel weird about it, but also mainly because I want it to be a big surprise."

She grinned. "You got a bad crush on her, huh?"

He sighed. "Discretion."

"Yeah, okay, but am I wrong?" she asked, lowering her voice.

"No, you aren't wrong...does that seriously not bother you?"

"No! Stop asking! God, you all are so weird. Or whatever, I'm the weird one because I'm not foaming at the mouth with jealousy every time you look at another girl."

"You're exaggerating, but it is weird, Mae. Don't get me wrong, good weird. Obviously good for me, good for Bea, good for...others. But still, weird."

"Whatever. Come on, let's go see what Bea's up to."

It was the next day and Bea had in fact been gone when he'd woken. He had vague recollections of her kissing him at some point in the dim gray morning, and then he was waking up to brighter sunshine. Mae had woken uncharacteristically early, almost just past noon, and had decided today would be a day of walking and visiting.

Trent had just been finishing up ordering some things online, namely presents for Mae and Bea. He would've ordered more for the others, but he honestly didn't know them well enough yet. He was actually looking forward to Longest Night, though he was nervous about putting it all together for Mae. Mainly because he'd be reaching out to people he didn't know too well. But Bea promised to help him do it, once she learned about it.

"Oh...oh no," Mae whispered. She sounded absolutely thunderstruck, horror stricken. "No, please…" she groaned, her eyes wide.

They were standing in front of the Pickaxe. Staring in through the plate glass window. For a second, Trent felt terror seize him.

Had she seen a member of the cult?

"What's wrong?" he whispered, trying to see what had her so upset.

He saw Bea in there behind the counter, and someone else, a raccoon with glasses and a small beard and a light blue hat, talking with her. She didn't seem nervous or apprehensive, though. If anything, she looked a little bored.

"It's...him," Mae whispered. She looked like she'd seen a fucking demon.

"Who!?"

"Cole."

"Who the fuck is Cole?" he asked.

"He's...ugh...my ex," she groaned, turning around abruptly and hugging herself. "I'm gonna puke."

"Seriously? Do you not want to go in?" he asked. "We can keep going, hit up Angus or Gregg instead…"

"No, no," she said, then took a few rapid breaths. "No, we have to see Bea. She needs our support. I...have to go in there. But you're my boyfriend now! You're way cooler than he is!"

"I dunno, he looks pretty cool," Trent murmured, looking in again. Neither had noticed them, still talking about whatever it was. Cole looked older than either of them, his clothes nice, his stance and expression relaxed. "Uh...how old is he?"

"My age," Mae replied.

"Really? He looks older than me…"

"He does," she groaned.

"Why do you hate him so much?"

"I don't hate him just...I'm so embarrassed. I did so many embarrassing things around him…"

"And he gave you shit for it?" he asked.

"No! He was always so nice and understanding! God, even when I puked tacos all over his shoes at the party!"

"Oh, you mean that party in the woods where you got drunk that you brought up?"

"Yes, that one."

"What actually happened?"

She sighed. "Nothing serious. We all went there, me and Bea and Gregg and Angus. Cole was there. Other people were there. I was already nervous because I look like a fucking trash fire and Bea was obviously mad at me about something. This was before we'd really, uh, buried the hatchet. I tried talking to him several times. I fucked it up each time, because my anxiety hit so hard, and I yelled at him like three times. I was all 'what the hell is your problem!?', for no reason! It just came out of my mouth! I kept drinking...he tried to apologize for upsetting me...I, uh, went on a drunken rant about my nightmare eyes and stabbing people...then I puked tacos on his shoes. Then Bea drove me home and got mad at me...I think? I don't remember much after the puke. It sucked."

"I'm sorry," Trent said.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in there…"

"No, we should."

"What's he even doing here…" she moaned.

"Probably back for the holidays, maybe picking something up for his dad? I dunno. But listen, you think he's nice, right?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And you feel bad about how you left things."

"Yes."

"So take this opportunity to apologize and just leave things, if not pleasantly, then at least neutrally, okay? I imagine he wants the same thing."

"I dunno…"

"Mae, you said you're trying to be better, right? Be more of an adult?"

She moaned and put her hands over her eyes. "...yes."

"This is a big adult thing to do. It'll get you like big adult points."

"With who?"

"With me. With Bea."

"...so this is like the adulting equivalent of hitting the gym super hard for a week or something? And then I can have a cheat day and be a kid again for the rest of the day?"

He laughed. "Sure, Mae...whoop, looks like we're committed now. They've seen us."

"Fuck. Goddamnit. Okay...let's do this."

They walked into the Pickaxe. Both Cole and Bea were looking at them now. Bea looked like she was trying to hide a smile, Cole looked...nervous.

"Hello Mae, Trent," Bea said.

"Bea," Mae replied. She marched up to Cole, who was holding his ground with an admirable poker face at least. And Mae was facing the problem head on, also admirable.

He just hoped something awful didn't come out of her mouth.

Like vomit.

"Cole," she said.

"Hi, Mae," he replied awkwardly.

"...I'm sorry."

"What? Why?"

Mae sighed heavily and reached up, massaging her mangled ear. "I'm sorry for prom. I never actually apologized. I'm sorry for the papertowels, and the toilet, and the puke. And I'm sorry for that night a few months ago, and the...other puke, and the yelling. You didn't deserve that. You're not an asshole, I am. So...I'm sorry."

Cole looked around, at her, at Trent, at Bea, back at Mae. "I-okay. It's fine, Mae. I know...you have difficulties, and I didn't really ever, like, get you. I accept your apology...and I forgive you."

Mae let out a sigh of relief. "Cool...you got a new girlfriend?" she asked.

"...yeah," he replied cautiously.

"I got a new boyfriend! It's him! He's Trent," Mae said.

"Oh, uh, cool." Cole offered his hand. Trent shook it. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Trent replied.

"Sorry if this is weird," Mae said.

"This is amazing," Bea said.

"Shut up, Bea!"

Bea snorted and fell silent, watching them all with an amused smirk. "Well, uh, good luck to you two. I've got places to be. Uh...I'll be back in with my dad later, Bea."

"I'll be here," Bea replied.

"Cole, wait," Mae said as he began to leave.

He tensed. "...yeah?"

"Uh...sorry if it's weird, but like...why'd you agree to date me? I never thought you'd say yes in a million years, dude. Like...why?"

He looked at her for a moment, then at Trent, then back to her. "I guess...I respected you. You weren't like anyone else at our school. Plus, I mean...you're pretty hot."

"What? Shut up, no I'm not. I'm a pile of trash."

Cole sighed in such a way that Trent could immediately tell he'd had at least some practice putting up with this side of her. "You are not, Mae. I dated you, you clearly think I'm cute. You told me so yourself. Trent here is dating you...but that's why."

"Okay...uh, thanks."

"Yeah."

Cole left the Pickaxe a little quickly.

"Wow, Mae, I'm impressed," Bea said. "After that display where you were threatening to stab him in his sleep, that's a huge improvement. I assume you had a hand in this?" she asked, looking at Trent.

"A little," he replied.

"I can be nice!" Mae snapped.

"Oh I know, but if Trent hadn't been here, would you have done that?" Bea asked.

Mae stared daggers at her, pursing her lips, crossing her arms, her tail thrashing. Finally, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Yes, I probably would have bailed. Or fucked it up. There, you happy?"

Bea's expression softened. "No, Mae. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just fucking with you a little. I am impressed, and proud. You did a good thing, Mae. But hey, if Gregg can fuck with me, I can fuck with you."

Mae glowered at her for a few seconds more, then broke into a smile. "Yeah, okay, fine. Totally fair."

"So what's up, you two?" she asked.

"We came for moral support. Also I'm giving Trent like the big tour? I haven't actually gotten around to doing it yet because being in love is exhausting."

"Is it now?" Trent asked.

"Uh, yes! I have to be either deliriously happy or terrified I'm going to fuck it up like all the time, and that's not counting all the frantic sex."

"Mae…" Bea groaned, looking around.

"What? No one's here."

"I'm here! You're having sex, Mae?!" a new voice called from the back.

"Germ!? Yeah, I'm totes getting laid!" Mae called back. "By my boyfriend!"

"Mae! Shut the fuck up!" Bea snapped.

"What, is someone else here?"

"I don't think so but God have some discretion!"

From a doorway behind the counter, someone new stepped out. A short but stocky dark blue bird with a big yellow beak, decked out in all black clothing, including a black cap, appeared. He seemed to size Trent up with a single glance.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay...what?" Bea asked.

"I accept Mae's boyfriend. He's good enough for her."

"How can you tell?" Trent asked.

"I dunno. Something about how you're standing, and about how Mae is standing, and your expression...also, I seriously doubt Mae would date someone bad." He walked forward and offered his hand over the counter. "I'm Germ Warfare."

"Holy shit, that's an awesome name," Trent said, shaking his hand. Germ had a very strong grip.

Germ grinned. "Thanks."

"Trent Sinclair," he said.

"That's a pretty cool name. Well, I should get back to work. Bea has me doing slave labor."

"I most certainly do not!" Bea replied, feigning horror and indignant consternation.

"Yep, you can't see it but there's a shock collar on me. And shock manacles too. She shocks me so hard if I slow down even a little. Whelp! Back to work."

He disappeared back where he'd come from.

"That's a weird dude," Trent muttered.

"But in a good way," Mae said.

"Yeah, that was my impression."

"Oh yeah, Mae! You should come over sometime soon! Before the snow! Trampoline awaits!" Germ called from the back.

"Can I bring Trent?"

"...yes."

"Thanks!"

"Yep."

"Interesting," Bea murmured. "He never invites anyone over...at least from what Gregg tells me. So how's it going, you two?"

"Good, now, I guess," Mae said. "You?"

"Eh, I'm okay. Checked in with my dad. I thought we were gonna have a talk, but we didn't. I'm...gonna try for a real conversation tonight. He's very, very resistant to stuff like that, but as you two have let me know, I can be very stubborn."

"Like a bull," Mae said, grinning.

"Yes, Mae. Like a bull." She groaned suddenly. "I wanna come back over. Like, really bad. I haven't had such a good time in, like, years. That was so much fun, and so relaxing, and not for the, uh, obvious reason. Just everything."

"Whenever you're ready, we'll be there, Bea," Trent said.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. And I'm, uh, giving some serious thought to your guys's other...um...proposition. On a more long-term basis. Even if it causes problems. I'm...working on it in my head. But just know that it's like super tempting."

"Extremely ultra tempting," Mae said.

"Yeah, very, very, very tempting," Trent agreed.

Bea laughed awkwardly and blushed. "Shut up, you two."

"Can you go on break?" Mae asked.

"I...eh, yeah. Sorta. Come on in the back, we can chill for a bit. I'll hear it if anyone comes in. But this is the slow part of the day," she replied.

"All right then."

They followed her back to the storeroom.