My mouth tastes like ass. Ugh. Worse than ass. God, what time is it? I don't even know where the hell I am but wherever it is, it's way too fucking bright. I really hope that brightness doesn't mean it's time to get up. I'm too tired for that.

I blindly fling an arm over my eyes to block out most of the obnoxious light. I'm somewhere soft but I'm pretty sure it's a solid surface. Which means I'm not in the sand frying my ass off. At least someone cares enough to carry me inside.

Just as that thought crosses my mind, there's soft laughter next to me and it's pulling me from my sleep. Shit, I wanted to get a few more hours. Who the fuck is even awake right now?

I lift my arm a tiny bit and blink an eye open. It takes my vision a couple of seconds to get used to the sudden, blinding sunlight streaking in through the window. Ugh, it's way too early to be morning already.

Apparently, someone dragged my sorry ass into Star's living room and deposited me on the couch. I still have my jeans on but my shoes and shirt are probably long gone by now. Whoever dragged me inside at least gave me a blanket so I'm not cold.

Kwan and Danny are sitting opposite each other on the floor, both of them clutching mugs of coffee. They're talking quietly and I recognize the sound of my best friend's voice but I can't make out what he's saying. I can see the exhaustion in his features and the dark circles under his eyes. I wonder if he drove through the night, even though I told him not to.

Danny laughs softly again and Kwan's grinning as he flicks his gaze up to me. His smile softens a little and I can see a touch of sadness in his expression. "Hey. How'd you sleep?" Those are the first words I've been able to understand since I woke up and I know whatever I say in response isn't gonna be nearly as coherent.

"Ugh… fucking…" I scrub a hand down my face and let out a loud exhale, squeezing my eyes closed again. I don't want to think or even be awake at this hour. Not to mention the fact that my skull feels like somebody drove a Mack truck through it.

Kwan laughs and the sound is ordinarily fine with me but right now, my head is pounding and his joy at my pain is only serving to irritate me. I flip him the bird and let out a groan, immediately returning my hands to my head. Shit, I feel awful. How much did I have to drink last night? I don't remember much past taking shots.

Danny turns toward me and the sound of his mug clinking against the coffee table is like a fucking gunshot in the silence. "Do you want some aspirin?" he asks softly and my god, he's gotta be used to dealing with drunk people or something cause his voice doesn't make my head ache the way Kwan's did.

I give him a thumbs up as my answer because nodding would be too painful and I'm still learning how words work. Jesus Christ, my head is really trying to kill me. I let my eyes fall closed again cause the light is making it pound worse and I hear Kwan move from his spot on the floor.

He comes to lean against the couch, his back near my head and I'm sure if I opened my eyes and turned just a little, I'd be able to see him. But my head hurts too bad and from the words he starts saying, I don't think he wants anyone to look at him.

"Keith was terrified on the drive home," he barely whispers, his voice quiet enough to not make my head hurt any more than it already is. He exhales softly, the cushion shifting as he settles against it again. "I feel so bad for him. His parents told him not to worry while he was gone this weekend but obviously, he can't even get a few days to himself." Kwan groans softly and I open my eyes again, turning toward him. He's got one hand on his forehead and he looks like there's a hell of a lot more he could tell me right now.

I lick my incredibly dry lips before speaking, my voice hoarse from not being used in a while. "I'm sure he appreciated you being there yesterday." I don't know if that helps but I know my teammate. Keith would never admit it in a million years but he doesn't want to be alone through all of the shit he deals with. Having Kwan there just on the ride home must've been good for him. I'm sure my best friend kept his mind from wandering down too many dark roads.

Kwan sighs a little and turns toward me, offering a small smile. "How's your head?" As soon as I open my mouth to respond with "fucking hurts", Danny returns with the aspirin. And holy fuck, I could cry tears of happiness if it wouldn't cause so much pain.

"Thanks man," I manage, sitting up a little to swallow down a mouthful of water with the two white pills he's brought me. Danny takes the glass from me when I've swallowed and I settle against the couch again as he sets it on the coffee table. He moves beside Kwan again but angles his body toward me, like I'm welcome to join the conversation if I want to.

"So, you were telling me about Jared's photographs," Danny says, propping his elbow on the couch cushion my feet are on. "You said something about Ireland?"

Kwan's face is flushed when I look at him and I can't help the snort that escapes me. They both turn to look at me and my best friend rolls his eyes. "Sh-Shut up and just… sleep off your hangover or something."

He leans back into the couch with a hesitant movement, a smile returning to his face when he looks over to Danny. "Jared's family owns a summer house in Ireland. He plans to study abroad there in his junior or senior year." His cheeks are stained pink again and I wonder how much he's shared with Danny while I was passed out. "He said he… He said he wants to take me to see it one day. He says there's nothing like experiencing it in person."

Danny's smile widens and he nods, listening intently to Kwan's every word. It's weird, watching the two of them like this. I never really imagined that the two of them would get along as easily as they do. But they keep the conversation going and occasionally, I chime in with my own thoughts.

I'm not sure how long I lay there on the couch but by the time Kwan gets up to leave, my headache's gone. I stretch my arms over my head and sit up, flashing a grin at the both of them. "Aspirin's a fucking miracle cure."

Kwan snorts, shaking his head as he digs his keys out of his pocket. "Alright, I'm headed out. I'll see you tomorrow." His gaze drifts from me to Danny, his smile widening a little. "Both of you."

As he starts out of the living room, I move from the couch, the springs squeaking loudly in the silence. "I'll walk you out," I say, gesturing toward the door. Kwan gives me a look of surprise and I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Believe it or not, I can get my lazy ass up."

He laughs again and gives Danny a wave before we're heading out. He stops to grab the bag he apparently left here on Friday, before he pulls the front door open. The sun is practically blinding as we step outside and I squint against it as I follow him down to his car. There's only a handful of people left and I wonder if Danny and I are gonna be one of the last few to leave.

Kwan opens the trunk of his car and drops his duffel bag inside, exhaling softly as he stares down at the bag. I know there's probably a lot of shit running through his head but I won't let it clog up his mind any more than it already has. I lean against the side of his car, the metal warm against my back, and cross my arms, staring at the house as my headache slowly returns.

"So. You're cool with Danny knowing you play for the other team?" I ask, flicking my gaze over my shoulder. A smile pulls at Kwan's face but it looks kinda sad. It's a weird expression on him and I don't understand it. He slams the trunk closed before coming to lean against the car next to me.

He shrugs as his gaze follows mine, both of us staring at the summer house Star's family bought ages ago. Pretty sure it's been in her family for generations. Kind of a shame the two of us never met as kids at this beach. Bet my summers wouldn't have been nearly as lonely if we had.

"I don't care who knows, Dash," Kwan says softly, drawing my attention back to him. I glance toward him but he keeps his gaze fixed on the house. "I used to but…" He turns toward me with a heavy sigh. "This is my last year in Amity Park. I don't care if the whole town knows that I'm gay. As soon as senior year is over, I'll be with brand new classmates and in a place where no one knows my name. I just… I can't care anymore."

The way he's talking reminds me of what Danny said last night. Something about not being afraid to show who he is anymore. God, who knew they were so alike in a sense? It's really not fair to ask but I keep turning the question over and over in my head. "Y-Yeah, but Fenton?"

I don't know how my best friend feels about him but I really hope he doesn't have the same opinion as most of the cheerleaders do. I don't want to know why Danny's apparently such an awful person to be friends with. I just want Kwan to get along with him cause he's… I don't know what it is about Danny but he's just a lot of fun to be around. He keeps me thinking but distracted just enough to where I can forget some of the stupid shit I deal with.

Kwan shrugs again. "I like Danny, he's nice. We don't really get a chance to talk much but he's in my algebra class."

I almost forgot that they share that class. They're both so fucking smart, no wonder they do. I nod slowly, returning my gaze to the house. Kwan's quiet next to me for a few seconds before his gaze is back on me. "Why? Is there something I should know about him?"

I want to say that we're alike. That he gets the shit beat out of him at home and he's too scared to admit it. I want to tell Kwan that Danny's such a good person – anyone is after dealing with me and algebra more than once. I want to tell him all of it but I can't. It's not my story to give away and Danny doesn't even know that I've figured it out yet. I have to talk to him first.

"Nah, he's cool." I glance back toward Kwan with a grin, knowing that someday, I'll be able to tell him the truth. Tell him that after all these fucking years, I've found someone that's just like me. Someone that deals with the same shit that I do and that they get it like I do. And I'll also have to tell him that more than anything, I wish it wasn't Danny.


Danny's nice enough to grant me taking a shower before we hit the road and I'm really grateful for it. I spend most of it still waking up and by the time I'm out, he's made a new pot of coffee and holy shit, the smell alone is enough to jumpstart me.

I down half of my mug before Star comes down the stairs, her bags by the door. She gives me a grin before swiping a mug of coffee for herself. "You slept like the dead," she says, hiding her grin behind her mug. There's a look in her eyes that says she's teasing me but I don't know why.

"Yeah…?" I say more as a question than a statement, my eyebrows rising the longer she stares at me. "What the hell are you looking at?"

Star laughs softly, taking a sip of her coffee before she answers me. "Maybe it's a good thing you don't remember last night." She flicks her gaze away as I try to recall any of it. I remember sitting on the sand next to Danny and he had tears in his eyes. He told me about moving to Amity Park in the fourth grade… but that's the last thing I remember. Well, not really. I asked Star to pass me a beer cause I remember chugging it. Other than that, it's all pretty hazy.

"Shit," I mumble, taking in another mouthful of my coffee. I have no fucking clue what I did last night and I could have done anything. I really hope I didn't embarrass myself too much. "Was it awful?"

Star glances over at me and laughs softly at the look on my face. "Nothing we haven't seen before. But the strip tease was a nice addition." She takes another sip and I really hope she's joking.

I run a hand through my hair and glance toward the doorway when Danny appears, his bag slung over his shoulder. He gives me a soft smile and I know he's just as ready to get out of here as I am. I swallow the last mouthful of my coffee and rinse the mug out before setting it in the sink.

"Thanks for letting us stay another night," I tell Star and she nods, setting her coffee mug down on the counter.

She opens her arms for a hug and I wrap my arms around her. She squeezes me gently before pulling away with a smile. "Drive safe." Star steps past me and I see the surprise on Danny's face when she opens her arms to him too. "Thanks for your help, Danny, I appreciate it."

He hesitates a few seconds before taking a small step forward to hug her too. "Y-Yeah, anytime." His eyes fall closed for a second before he pulls away, giving her a smile. "Well… you have my number if you need any more help."

She smiles again and moves back to her coffee, waving to the two of us as we leave. I have no idea what they're talking about but it must have been something I missed while I was passed out or drunk off my ass. Either way… I'm a little surprised at how easily they're getting along. I figured it'd take her longer than anyone to welcome Danny in. It's starting to look more and more like Paulina's the only one that hates Danny. I have no idea why and I want to know even more now.

We move outside to my car, throw our duffel bags into the trunk again, and hit the road in pretty much record timing. I still have a bitch of a headache but I'm not letting Danny drive my car. The brakes are hanging on by a fucking thread and I don't want him in the driver's seat if that thread suddenly snaps.

Danny's quiet as I drive and I let the radio play softly in the background. I can't tell if he's being quiet out of respect for my head or because he just doesn't have anything to say. Either way, I focus on putting distance behind us. It's a long way back to Amity Park.


The car's only been on the road for about an hour when Danny's phone starts ringing like crazy. He silences it the first few times, giving me an apologetic smile each time. On the third try, I tell him my headache's gone if he wants to answer it and he quickly does.

"H-Hey, Tuck," he says softly, a smile pulling at his features. He leans back in the seat, laughing softly. "No, you didn't. I'm actually uh… I'm on my way home. Wh-What's up?"

Danny suddenly sounds incredibly nervous and I wonder if it's cause he's in the car with me or if it's something to do with who he's talking to. Before yesterday, he's never brought up his friends and I wonder if he had a reason for not wanting to.

His laughter fills the car again and I find myself smiling at the sound, leaning forward to turn the radio dial down. Danny glances toward me before his gaze drifts out the window again. "Really?" He's grinning like crazy right now and I have no idea what's making him so happy, only that I'm glad he's smiling. I'm guessing he doesn't get to do that too often.

"Please tell me she didn't actually… okay, good." Danny laughs again before glancing my way. "Listen, I'm on my way home so I'll call you when I get there." He hesitates a moment, his gaze darting around the car. "Um… E-Elmerton."

I don't know what his friend thinks of me and my friends but I'm pretty sure he's gonna have a lot of questions as to why Danny was at a party with us. Right now, his face looks flushed and I can only imagine what his friend's saying on the other end.

"T-Tuck, I'll call you when I get home. Yeah, okay." Danny ends the call and exhales out heavily, looking my way with a sheepish expression. "S-Sorry… he can be pretty obnoxious when he wants to talk." He slips his phone into his pocket again and runs a hand through his hair.

I shrug in response. "S'fine with me." I shift lanes before glancing his way again. "He want anything or just called to talk?"

Danny shakes his head, settling back into his seat. "No, he just wanted to talk. We haven't had a chance to since April cause he was vacationing with his family over the summer and I-I was busy." He fidgets for a second before shrugging, his gaze focused out the windshield. "I'll call him when I get home tonight."

We've still got awhile to drive but the only thing I've had since I got up was coffee and that aspirin Danny brought me. I could definitely use some fuel and I'm pretty sure Danny could too. Dunno if he ate while I was passed out but still.

"You want to stop in about an hour to get some lunch?" I ask, glancing toward him. When he looks back at me with a nod, I can't help but add, "Sweet, I'm fucking starving."

The two of us make small talk, discussing our classes and homework and all that shit, until we hit the point where both of our stomachs are making noises and we decide to stop at the next place we see. Unfortunately, we're still in Elmerton so I have no clue if their food is even gonna be any good. Then again, Danny happened across the hot dog place so, anything's worth a shot.

My car's low on gas so we take the first exit off the highway. We're in the least-populated area of Elmerton, meaning there are barely any road signs, which is just great. I'm trying to figure out where the hell we are when Danny spies a tiny gas station off the road, its sign barely hanging on.

I eye it warily, pulling up next to a pump and we climb out of the car, Danny coming to lean beside me as I pop the tank open. I spin the gas cap off, set it on the back of my trunk, and dig my wallet out of my back pocket. I turn to put my card in the slot... but there's nothing there.

"Where the fuck is the card slot?" I ask, glancing around the area. I know this part of Elmerton isn't that populated but shit, do they really not have anywhere for me to put my card?

Danny moves from my car, searching the pump with me. "Maybe you have to go inside?" he asks, glancing toward the front. With a groan, I turn back to my car and lock the door, gesturing for him to follow me.

I hold the door open for him before following inside. There's a young guy working behind the counter, a huge wad of what I hope is gum in his cheek. He glances up from a magazine when we step inside and Danny gives him a bright smile.

"Hi, we couldn't find a place to put a card outside, do we have to come inside to pay for the gas?" Danny asks. The guy stares back blankly at the both of us and Danny tilts his head to one side. "Um… d-do you guys take cards here?"

The guy, Brent as his name-tag says, leans over to spit out the wad in his mouth and ugh, it's definitely not gum. He gives us a gap-toothed grin, his teeth stained brown and yellow. "Ain't got anybody with a card here. Gotta pay with cash, boys."

I open my wallet and pull out the fifty I didn't use on the pizzas and slide it across the counter. "I need twenty on pump three." I wait for him to make change but he just stares at the fifty before flicking his gaze up to me.

A grin tugs at his mouth as he gestures to the bill. "You sure you ain't got anything smaller to pay with?" he asks, reaching out to take the fifty anyway. "We don't make change here."

"Are you fucking with me?"

Danny glances toward me and quickly takes the fifty back from the guy, passing it off to me before he digs out his own wallet. "Here's a twenty, okay?" He drops the bill onto the counter and jerks his thumb out toward the parking lot. "Pump three."

The guy swipes Danny's money and gives us a grin, showing off his missing teeth again. We take our exit and as soon as we're out in the open air, Danny's laughter fills it. I glance toward him, figuring he's gotta be seeing something I'm missing but he's not looking at anything.

"That guy was totally high, did you smell it in there?" he asks, grinning at me. The expression arches the corners of his mouth higher, his eyes looking more crescent-like with the movement.

I glance back toward the gas station and shake my head, flicking my gaze to Danny again. "The tobacco?" Danny was closer than me but I didn't think it had that strong of a scent.

"What? No." Danny shakes his head, casting a glance back to the station before we come to a stop next to my car. "He was smoking marijuana. The scent was everywhere, I can't believe you didn't smell it."

Despite my teammates smoking that shit at a lot of parties in the past, I've never had any of it. Not that the opportunity wasn't given to me. I just… I don't know, I don't want that kind of shit in my lungs. And I was only around Blake once when he smoked it in freshman year and though I definitely remember the way he acted on it, I barely remember what it smelled like.

I give Danny a shrug and start filling my car, the pump cutting off just past fifteen dollars. I try to squeeze out every last drop, even shaking it from side to side and tapping it on the rim, but it's empty. Completely fucking empty, what the hell?

Danny stops me from going back inside to get the guy to give us the fucking twenty dollars' worth and soon, we're back on the road, looking for somewhere to eat. It all looks the same to me – which is, not appetizing at all. He tries to suggest a couple of places but even the outside of these places are seedy. I don't like the looks of any of them.

After half of forever, according to Danny, I find a place that doesn't look like either of us will get stabbed in the parking lot in broad daylight. Sorry to have such high standards, but I'm not in any kind of rush to die.

The inside of the tiny diner I decided on is nice. It's kind of got a 1950's vibe going with the checkered flooring and an actual jukebox standing in the corner. The booths are all red with black tables standing in between them and I feel a little like I've stepped back in time. I can only hope that they take debit cards here.

A few stray people are in some of the booths near the window but most of them look like people on business trips, or the kind of people that you see in places like this. Truck drivers or local people that have more fingers than teeth.

An older waitress comes from behind the counter, looking like she could be somebody's mom, drying her hands on her apron as she nears us. She smiles at the two of us, her red lipstick parting to show off a set of white teeth.

"Aw shoot, honey, welcome to Sweet Susie's Diner and Bakery. Glad to see you, come here, lemme show you to a table." She gestures for us to follow after her and leads us to a table in the back, and Danny and I take a seat on either side of the table.

She digs out a pen and a pad of paper from the front of her apron. "My name's Linda and it'll be my pleasure to serve you. Our special today is beef stew and cornbread muffins, with your choice of two sides." Linda taps the pen against the pad, glancing between the two of us. "Can I get your drink orders?"

Danny and I glance toward each other before I speak. "Uh… a water for me." My head's still pounding and I've heard that water helps. Though that's probably a myth.

"I-I'll have a water as well," Danny says and Linda smiles at us both before dropping two menus on the table.

"Alright, I'll be back out with your waters in a jiffy!" She spins on her heel and quickly marches away from the both of us. I watch her go for a second before focusing on my menu. There're a fuck ton of options for such a small place but that's not actually a bad thing.

I scan the list of items before my eyes catch sight of a huge stack of chocolate chip waffles. Oh fuck yes. Heaven. I haven't had these in forever. Probably since before mom left. Dad and I don't really cook unless it's something we can throw on the grill and usually, even that is too much effort. We're more microwave-meal type of people.

"Everything looks really good," Danny says softly, his gaze meeting mine when I look up. His eyes are quickly drawn back to the menu as he runs his finger down it. "I-I think I like the look of the chicken stir-fry."

I glance down at the menu, quickly finding what he's looking at. "The one in the parmesan sauce?" I ask, and Danny nods in response. Shit, that looks good too. But man alive, I can already smell those waffles. I push my menu aside as Danny continues to look over his, turning my gaze out the window.

This weekend was fucking weird. From taking care of Danny the first night we spent at the beach, to a lot of my friends getting along with him… just straight-up weird. My gaze shifts from the window to Danny again and after a few seconds, he looks up at me, folding his hands over his menu.

"What?" he asks softly, tilting his head to one side as I continue to stare.

I hesitate a few seconds before leaning forward, crossing my own hands on the table. "What was Star talking about before we left? Something about you helping her?"

Danny's gaze falls slightly but a smile pulls at the corners of his mouth. "She uh… she was having trouble with some stuff so I offered some advice. Sh-She seemed to appreciate it a lot." He glances up at me again with a smile, shrugging one shoulder. "It was nothing, really."

There are so many questions crowding up my head, so many things I could ask him in this moment, but I can't find the words. I can't figure out how to phrase, 'are your parents beating the shit out of you?' It's never come up in ordinary conversation. There are no words to ask, 'is all of this an escape to you too?'. But… I need to try. For him. So he knows he's not alone. So he doesn't lay in bed every night wondering what the fuck he's doing wrong.

"Y'know, th-"

The waitress chooses now, the exact moment I've gotten the balls to ask Danny if his parents are absolute dickheads, to appear with our drinks.

"Okay, here you are, two waters." She sets them down on the table and we both move our hands out of the way. She collects our menus before smiling at the two of us. "Have you boys decided what you're having today?"

Danny nods, a smile forming on his lips. "I-I'd like the chicken stir-fry." He ducks his head before glancing toward me. There are so many things still running through my mind, thousands of ways I could phrase the question, but now's not the time. Maybe this waitress has got great timing and saved me from making the rest of the car ride awkward. Thanks, Linda. I owe you one.


Danny and I devour our food like there's not another day left on this earth and holy fucking god, mine's amazing. Danny points out that everything he's seen me eat, I claim is the best thing ever, but I don't care. These waffles actually are.

Linda returns to collect our plates and asks if we'd like anything else to eat. Before Danny can say no, I order us two large chocolate shakes and she leaves to get them for us. Danny raises an eyebrow at me and I grin in response.

"Everyone knows that if you have the chance to get a chocolate shake, you get a fucking chocolate shake, Danny."

He rolls his eyes and his gaze strays out the window again. Clouds are gathered overhead, making the day seem drearier than it is. Or maybe it is dreary. We're both going home to situations we really don't want to be in and this weekend was a major 'leave your problems at the door' kinda weekend. I'm gonna miss it.

"Do you guys do this trip annually?" Danny asks, his gaze remaining out the window as he asks. I wonder if he's asking because he wants to be a part of it again or just because he's curious. This trip has been around since I started playing in freshman year, but knowing the senior players that year, it's probably been around for a long time.

I nod, my gaze straying around inside the diner as I talk. "Yeah. We're creatures of habit, really." I lean back against the booth and fold my arms over my chest, my gaze sweeping over the tacky artwork pinned to the wall. "Every spring break, we're here, same as the weekend after our first game."

Danny smiles, his stare never leaving the window. I don't know what to say in the silence and maybe there's nothing to say. Maybe he doesn't want to make this trip again, maybe he regrets tagging along with us. Fuck, does my mind always have to come up with the worst possible reason?

When the waitress brings our shakes to us, Danny's whole face lights up when he gets a taste. "Good call with this," he says to me with a wide grin. "Dash, it's so good."

I duck my head to grab the straw between my teeth and sip it slowly, the texture just the right kind of thickness for a shake. Shit, this is delicious too. Note to self, even Elmerton has gems in this backwoods part of it. "S'good," I respond and Danny's grin only widens in response as he takes in another slurp.

His gaze drops to the glass before he smiles up at me, tilting his head to one side. "So," he starts, swirling his straw in the shake. His stare doesn't leave mine and I can't tell if he's trying to make conversation or figuring out how to phrase something. "How'd you get started in football?"

It's been so long since someone asked me how I got into the sport, I barely remember the answer. I know I started when I was young but I can't remember if my dad was behind that or not. Maybe mom was…?

"Uh…" I drop my gaze, taking another swallow of the shake before I talk. "When I was in elementary school, I needed something to do so I was signed up for little league. I played off and on throughout junior high but I never really planned to play in high school until I learned that you could skip PE if you're on a sports team."

I chew on the end of my straw a little before swallowing another sip. I nod toward Danny, leaning back in my seat. "How'd you uh… get involved with the space stuff?" I ask, wondering if I shouldn't be because of what he told us on the beach. He's probably interested in it because that's where he was born. Hell, I'd eat up every little artifact about outer space if I'd been born there.

Danny smiles softly, drumming his fingers against the sides of his glass as something outside attracts his attention. It's started raining finally, the sky looking a little like the world's about to end, and the raindrops are softly hitting the window. His smile widens a little at the sight outside.

"Well… the fact that I was… born in space is only part of it," he says, exhaling softly. "My mom was an astronaut s-so I've kind of grown up around it…?" He shrugs, looking back to me with a sad smile. "After I was born, we moved around a lot. Now, they work with the government."

The way he's phrased everything about his parents seems like he has something to hide. But maybe he just never wanted me to figure out about the whole 'born in space' thing until he was ready to bring it up. Or maybe it's because his parents are kicking him around when he's home.

"Yeah but… what got you into it?" I ask, leaning forward when he draws in a small breath. "You can be around something your whole life and still not give a shit about it. So… what's it for you?"

Danny smiles softly, shaking his head like I've found him out or something. Like I've dug deeper than anyone else would. "For me… it's the furthest I can get from Amity Park. You can't really get any further than off the planet."

It's silent between us as I process what he's said. On the beach the other night, he made it seem like Amity Park was the one place that didn't hound him about his birth. If anything… it sounded like he never wanted to leave this place. But… Friday night… when he woke up crying, he talked about wanting to leave Amity Park behind… I don't understand what he wants.

Danny pushes his shake back and stands from the table, giving me a smile when I look up at him. "Come on. For now at least, I've gotta go back." He starts for his wallet but I wave him off, digging out the fifty the loser at the gas station wouldn't take, and lay it on the table.

If he's getting out of Amity Park after graduation, possibly training to go to outer space, I won't see much of him after the school year's over. I don't know why but the thought stirs a kind of longing in me. Almost makes me want to leave this place in the dust too. My teammates and friends might be able to, but I can never leave. Amity Park is my home. It's all I've ever known and all I ever will.


We've just passed the sign that says we're in Amity Park, when my phone starts ringing. I hold the wheel with one hand and dig it out of my pocket with the other, sliding my thumb across the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Dash, oh my god, my weekend's been insane!" Valerie shouts into the phone and I hold mine away from my ear to save my hearing. "That agent I've been chosen to train under is amazing. She's so good at what she does and she thinks I can really shine here."

The sheer happiness in her voice brings a smile to my face even if she's speaking at volumes no human being should ever be able to. "Val, that's great. Did she say how long it'd be before your training is done?"

Valerie exhales into the receiver and I hear the start of an engine on her end. When she speaks again, it's at a normal volume this time. "No, but standard is about a year. I don't really care how long it takes, only that I still have a shot at doing this. Dash, the facility is amazing. Completely state of the art, no expenses spared, it's crazy."

Conversations like this are what make me wonder what I would have done with my life if things had turned out differently. If I had a shot at getting out of Amity Park, what career would I choose? Would I continue playing football or would something else catch my eye?

"That sounds amazing, Valerie, I'm really happy for you." I glance toward Danny before continuing. "Listen, I've gotta drop Danny off, I'll call you later tonight, okay?"

Val and I hang up with each other and I drop my phone into the cup holder, feeling the tension in my gut beginning to return. It's been a nice weekend without it constantly looming over me. I exhale heavily and the sound draws Danny's attention to me. Might as well ask him while I've got him here.

"S-So this uh… anxiety thing." It feels weird to say it out loud. It's almost like admitting that there's something wrong with me. Is there something wrong with me? What if Danny's the one with anxiety and I'm just being an idiot? God, he's actually been diagnosed with this shit, I just get a little pathetic if dear old dad raises his voice at me.

"Yeah?" Danny prompts softly, reminding me that I was going somewhere by bringing it up. Fuck, he's probably not interested in helping out a shaky, pathetic quarterback. I should be able to deal with my own shit at this point, I've gotten pretty damn good at it.

I clear my throat, more to convince myself to keep going than anything, and keep my stare out the windshield. I don't need to look at him while I bring up this shit. "I-I know you're on medication but before that… is there anything you did to… make it easier?"

Shit, he probably thinks I'm an idiot. Too pathetic to know how to deal with all of this shit on my own. I coulda looked this up on the internet instead of asking him to hold my fucking hand through it. But of course, like always, I take the easy way out.

"Before I was put on medication, I didn't really know what to do. I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Getting from one day to the next." Danny shrugs when I finally manage to look his way. "It's probably not the healthiest way to go about it but it's all I knew how to do." He nods toward the windshield. "My car's still at the school if you don't mind dropping me off there."

I switch lanes automatically and Danny sinks down in his seat with a sigh. "Point is… there's a dozen different ways you can make it easier. For me, there were places I just wouldn't go because they made me too anxious. It's why I was excused from PE in the seventh grade."

When I glance toward him, he smiles. "My friend Tucker really thought it was unfair that I didn't have to run or play dodgeball like the rest of the class did but I just couldn't handle even the idea of it. So, my dad talked to the principal and I didn't have to go anymore."

The school is on our immediate right and I go down the winding road, turning over everything Danny's said in my mind. I doubt having someone call my dad and tell him that screaming or throwing shit at me causes me to panic would work. If anything, it'd just escalate the situation. And since there's no way to get out of it at the moment, I'm just stuck until after graduation. Great.

I pull in a few spaces over from where Danny's parked his car and kill the engine, getting out with him. Danny walks around to the back of my car and gets his bag when I unlock the trunk. He slings the bag onto his shoulder and slams the trunk closed again before looking my way with a smile.

"Thanks for convincing me to come, Dash. I had a lot of fun." He turns his gaze skyward with a soft exhale and I can only imagine the thoughts running through his mind right now. Fuck, he's going back to his parents. To probably face more bruises and pain.

He turns his gaze back toward me, still with that same smile he's probably learned how to perfect. "I'll see you tomorrow?" he asks hesitantly, maybe worried that come Monday, my friends and I will pretend this weekend didn't happen. Fuck that, Danny's more than welcome to hang around me if he wants to. I just assumed in the past it was cause my friends weren't exactly welcoming him in with open arms or anything.

"Yeah, man, 'course," I respond, watching when his smile becomes less hesitant. He gives me a nod and starts for his own car. I think about telling him to drive safe or to text me when he gets home so I know he's okay but I can't leave the weekend like this. I can't let him go back to his parents when I know the kind of shit that they do. He doesn't think I'm aware because he was drunk off his ass when I saw the bruises but shit, he was beat pretty fucking badly.

I can't leave like this, watching him get into his car and drive across town to return home to something similar that I'm going to. This is so not fucking fair and if I had a choice, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Not until he was ready to talk about it.

"Hey… Danny?" I call after him and he turns, giving me a curious look as he unlocks his trunk. He tosses his bag inside and slams the door closed again, folding his arms across his chest as he takes a step closer to me.

"Yeah?" he asks softly, his gaze lifted to mine. Dusk is settling in around us and it reminds me of the first night we spent on the beach together. When he stared into my eyes and I thought something else was going to happen instead of him puking. I'd almost prefer to be talking about that instead of this shit. At least then, it wouldn't be so painful to even think about.

I scuff the ground with the toe of my shoe, trying to come up with the right words to say. Some way to let him know that I saw the truth underneath his clothes and he can't hide it from me anymore. I wish there was an easy way to let him know that I get why he's anxious sometimes, and I understand the need to get out of this town so fucking badly that you ache inside. But… maybe there is no perfect way to say it. Maybe I just have to say it.

"The first night we uh… the first night we spent at the beach, you got really drunk," I say softly, hoping that by starting with this, he'll already suspect it. He knew he was bruised when he agreed to come on this trip, maybe he'll start thinking that he brought it up.

I let out a breath when he says nothing and turn my gaze out to the lot, wishing I was anywhere but here. I want to rewind this weekend, leave all the painful shit behind. But if I were to forget the bruises that paint his chest, I wouldn't be able to offer him some kind of support or some shit now. As awkward and uncomfortable as this conversation's gonna be, I have to go through with it.

Danny raises an eyebrow when I turn back to him and I can only imagine the expression I must be wearing. "You puked all over yourself and I helped you change into something else to sleep in," I tell him, watching his eyebrows slowly rise higher on his forehead. "Danny… I-I saw the bruises."

I didn't think I would ever hear those words leave my mouth. It seems foreign to be saying it rather than hearing it, but maybe I've come full circle or some shit. Finally realized that with all the painful shit I deal with, on some level, I can help someone else with it.

"Fuck." Danny turns his gaze to the sky again and he lets out a long breath. I have experience responding to this question and nothing the other person ever said to me made it any easier. So, I keep my mouth shut while he cycles through the endless ways he could deny it. He might try to tell me that it's not what it looks like, or he fell, or he was wrestling with his friends – I've used them all. They won't work with me.

He turns back to me with a shrug. "Long story. I'd tell you but you probably wouldn't believe me," he says with a grin and fuck, of course I wouldn't believe him. He's smart, already got an elaborate story planned out in case someone asks him.

I shrug. "I'm pretty open-minded," I respond, watching his smile slowly slip from his face. I know he's lying. What happened wasn't something dramatic or a hilarious story to pass around. His parents worked him over and fuck, why didn't I pick up on it when I was in his house on Wednesday? When I saw how he reacted to his dad, I should have known.

Danny sighs, shaking his head. "I don't feel like telling the whole thing again. It's pretty long and I don't know about you but I'm exhausted." He gestures toward his car and turns around like that's it. Like I'm just expected to leave it at that and I can't. I won't let him walk away and shoulder this pain alone in darkness and secrecy.

"I know it's your parents," I say, watching his entire body freeze. From his hands clenching at his sides to the ducking motion his head makes, I know I'm right. I've hit the nail on the fucking head and he knows it. He lets out a shaky breath that sounds almost painful as he turns around.

His face is screwed up into an expression somewhere between hurt and disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about?" His arms twitch like they want to cross over his chest again but he doesn't let them. Danny shakes his head again, glancing toward the school before looking back at me, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "You've got it… so wrong, Dash. My parents have nothing to do with this."

"Really?" I demand, taking a step toward him. "If it's such a great story, let me hear it then. Let me hear the lie you've come up with to explain away the damage your parents did." He starts to shake his head, trying to interject, but I won't let him. "Danny, I know it's them. I get it, okay? I'm not about to judge you or any of that shit. I know that some parents can be fucking insane."

Danny shakes his head, putting distance between us quickly, his back hitting his car as he backs up. "Dash, I'm telling you, it's not them," he says, his eyes pleading with me to believe him and fuck I want to. I'd love to believe that his parents aren't fucking him up but there's no other explanation. I'm sure he could come up with a million different excuses but I don't want to hear them. I want to help him. I don't even know how to help myself but fuck, I don't want him to deal with this all alone anymore.

"You don't have to lie to me," I tell him, following him to his car. There's room for maybe one more step between us but I don't take it. I know the feeling of being completely trapped and I don't want to make him feel like I'm boxing him in, making him answer me. "You can tell me the truth, Danny. You're still the same person to me."

Danny's eyes squeeze closed and he shakes his head, dragging in a breath slowly. "N-No, Dash. I-I can't tell you. They're not… m-my parents aren't bad people, I promise you that," he whispers, his eyes fluttering open. He meets my gaze, begging once more for me to understand. To let it go. But I can't.

Fuck boxing him in, I need to get him to hear me. I've never been good with words and for the most part, I still fucking suck, but I can do this. I know I can reach him and get him to listen, to understand that it's not his fault. He can be honest with me and I won't judge him or tell anyone. I just need him to know that I'm safe to talk to.

I lean forward and slowly place my hands on either side of his head, Danny watching my every movement. His bottom lip disappears between his teeth and he shakes his head, probably asking me not to say it again. Not to ask, or bring it up. But he's gotta talk to someone, and yeah, I'd like it if that someone was me.

"Danny… are your parents abusing you?" I ask, my voice quieter than I thought it was gonna be. My tone is soft too, almost like I'm trying to console him, let him know that it really is okay to be honest with me. "It's gonna be okay, you can tell me."

He drags in another breath, pushing back against the car as much as he can. "N-No, they're not." Danny lets out a shaky exhale, tears gathered in the corners of his eyes when he meets my gaze. He's lying. "P-Please, Dash, they're not. I promise. P-Please believe me."

I shake my head in response, watching his expression fall. "I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't." Why else would he get this upset? Why would he deny it so hard and back away from me if it wasn't true? He's protecting them and I understand it so fucking much.

"Th-Then I can't do this," he says softly, ducking underneath my arm and moving to the other side of the car in one movement. I follow after him but he's already climbing into the driver's seat. I hold the door open with one hand and he looks up at me, pleading with me to just let him go. "Dash, p-please don't text me anymore." His gaze drops to the steering wheel and he turns in the seat, buckling the belt with a sigh. The tears that were gathered in his eyes just moments ago are now traveling down his cheeks and I hate that I'm to blame for them.

Danny meets my gaze again and he looks like he's torn. Between wanting to tell me the truth and wanting to keep the pain close to him, tightly locked against his chest like I do. I wish there was something to convince him otherwise but there's not. And I pushed too hard, made him retreat. I won't be able to drag him away from his house for a few hours or a weekend again.

"I'm-"

He grabs the door from me and tugs my grip off of it, slamming it closed before starting the engine. I try talking again, explaining that I get it but he ignores me, slowly pulling forward out of the parking space. I consider standing in his way but I don't move. I just watch his car leave the parking lot and know that for once, I did the right thing. And fucked it up so badly.


I can't even think straight for most of the time I spend driving around after leaving the school, still trying to process everything that happened. I should have waited longer. Until he was ready to be honest with me, open up a little more. I could have handled it differently and the outcome would have been so much better, but I didn't. I fucked it up, like I always somehow do.

I'm already on edge and pissed as fuck when I walk through the door. Maybe that's why the sight of my dad, waiting up on me, makes me scoff. He meets my gaze and I should probably be more concerned with the look in his eyes.

"It's a little late to start playing the parental role, dad," I snap, moving past him to get to the stairs. Shit, I forgot my bag. Amidst all the thoughts of hating myself for pushing Danny and wondering what he's returning home to tonight, I forgot to get my bag from my car. Oh whatever, I'll get it in the morning.

"You didn't respond to my messages all weekend, Dash," dad says, his voice making shivers run down my spine. Fuck it, I can't be scared of him. I'm too pissed to feel anything else. What did he expect me to do, drop everything just cause he told me to?

I roll my eyes and continue for the stairs. "Yeah, that's cause I was four hours away and couldn't actually get home." I don't know why but I turn toward him again and he's up from the couch. It should be the last thing on my mind given everything that just happened with Danny but I can't help it, the question spills from me before I can stop it. "Why the hell couldn't you make it to the game?"

Dad exhales roughly, his eyebrows down as he takes a step toward me. "I don't owe you an explanation, Dash. Work was busy, I had to-"

"Bullshit," I spit, my teeth gritting together. I know I should just back the fuck down if I don't want to start tomorrow off in pain but I can't help it. I'm pissed as hell and I can't stop talking. "It was one night, dad. All I asked you for was one night. And you couldn't even give me that."

"I told you, I-"

I take a step back, shaking my head. I don't want to hear his laundry list of excuses. "I don't care." I'm not even that pissed off with him, the fact that he didn't come to my game is such a small thing in comparison to the shit that Danny's going through, but I can't stop. I want to be angry at something and somebody that can take it. "And you don't either. You don't care about what goes on in my life, you only want me to do what you tell me to. That's why you texted me the other night, cause if I'm home, you get to control me. You get to use me as your fucking punching bag. You-"

Maybe it's cause for some reason, I wasn't expecting it. Or maybe it's cause his eyes are clear and I know he hasn't been drinking. Whatever it is… I don't see the punch coming until he's landed it to my right eye and I can barely see.

I stagger backwards, one hand flying up to my face. I'm staring back at him in what I guess is horror and dad wastes no time in advancing. He lands another hit to my face, splitting my lip instantly. I feel the blood run down my chin and I can't think. The part of my brain that normally registers pain has gone dead as I watch my dad swing at me again.

This time, I manage to duck and he misses another punch to me. My whole body is shaking and trembling and it's only making him angrier. I keep facing him, slowly backing out of the room, and he follows after me, the expression on his face miles beyond angry.

"You think you can talk to me like that, you piece of shit?" he demands, swinging again. I don't manage to get out of the way in time and the edge of his fist clips my ear, the sound so fucking loud. I move faster, trying to keep distance between us, but he keeps pace with me.

Dad gets my other eye and I stumble, almost losing my footing. I know if I go down, he won't stop until I'm bruised from head to toe and I can't do that. I have to get the hell out of here before he puts marks all over my torso and I won't be able to move.

"Just cause you spent the weekend away, you're suddenly all grown up and ready to talk to me like that, huh?" he questions, getting in a punch to my chin. Fuck, that's gonna bruise for sure. I stumble backward, somehow making it to the door with a bit of space between us. I twist the knob as fast as I can, thankful that I forgot to turn the lock when I came inside, and fling the door open.

I leave it open as I push open the screen door and stumble out onto the sidewalk. My face is already aching and I can't do this, I can't let him bruise me all over. He's following after me, his shouts probably heard down the street but I don't take my eyes off my car. All I have to do is get in the driver's seat and he can't get to me. I just have to drive. I can-

Dad's hands shove me from behind and I trip, hitting the side of my face on the pavement. I don't know how, I should be too stunned to move, but I'm instantly up again, scrambling away from him. I make it to my car before he can catch up to me and I slide into the driver's side, slamming the door closed behind me with panting breaths, my fingers trembling as I push the lock button. Dad stands outside, pounding on the glass while he screams shit I block out.

I can't believe I actually picked myself up and got into my car before he could get to me. I don't think our neighbors need any more of this show, so I pull out of the driveway, half-hoping dad doesn't move out of the way and I can back the car over him.

My hands are shaking so badly and I think I'm actually gonna puke as I drive away. I can barely breathe and it's like this every time his fists meet my face.

I drive in silence for probably an hour before I pull off to the side of the road and dig my phone out. It takes me twice as long as it should to type our coded message but at least I manage to hit the send button.

To: Kwan

Something happened, can I crash with you tonight?

It sounds calmer than I actually feel, which is good cause I'm freaking the fuck out in reality. My hands are shaking too badly to keep a hold on my phone so I set it on the passenger seat, trying really hard not to break down. I'm wound so fucking tightly and at any moment, my inner thread could snap and I'll crumble to pieces all over the inside of my car.

The only thing my brain settles on thinking about is the fact that I got away. Instead of laying on the floor and taking it or letting him get his anger out on me, I left. I don't know where the fuck that kind of courage came from but I'm out and I'm not going back till the morning. I'll sleep in my car if Kwan says no, I don't care. I'm not going back there tonight.

Just as I manage to come down from the shakes, my phone vibrates on the passenger seat and I slowly reach for it. I have to read over the message twice because despite how fucking hard I tried, my eyes fill with tears the instant I see Kwan's name on my screen. He's always so selfless and I don't think I've ever deserved to call him my best friend.

From: Kwan

Of course. I'm always here for you, Dash. Come on, I'll be downstairs waiting.


A/N:

Yooo, guys! Thanks for coming back for another week! Sorry posting has been so sporadic lately. There's so much shit going on right now, I can't even begin to describe it. Hopefully things will settle down relatively soon and we'll be back to once a week for the chapters. Until then, I really do appreciate your patience.

As a warning, this author's note is gonna be a bit lengthier than usual cause there's a lot of stuff I missed saying last week along with things I need to say about this chapter. So, if you don't care that much for author's notes, then I thank you for reading, I hope you have a wonderful week (two weeks?) and I'd love to know your thoughts on this week's chapter!

Okay, for those of you that like reading notes, here we go!

So, last week I was a bit rushed posting the chapter. I was about to enter into a couple of writing sprints with a friend of mine and I sped through the updating process because I wanted to put some words down on this fic. Because of my rush job, I ended up not saying a few things I wanted to last chapter so for this next paragraph, I'm gonna clear up some stuff there. Starting with the whole 'born in space' thing.

I did a lot of research before I put that part in the story and talked to a few people about the whole concept and through this, I came to know the facts. While no one has been born in space, it's not entirely impossible. As long as the baby returns to earth relatively soon after they've exited the womb, there won't be any long-term consequences or struggles for the baby. I noticed a lot of you asking last chapter how Maddie was able to sneak on-board the shuttle being pregnant and my only response to that is, she's a Fenton. They find their ways.

That's the major thing I wanted to talk about last week that I missed and the rest are kinda small points but I'll include them anyway.

The pizza that Danny introduces Dash to is fucking amazing. If any of you ever get the chance to try cheeseburger pizza, you need to. Also, Howard's a dick. Just putting that out there.

So, last chapter you finally got to see what happened with Sam and Tucker! I'd love to know your thoughts on that. There were many different avenues I could have gone with for those two characters and I feel that the ones I chose are fairly accurate in terms of their canon personalities. Hopefully you all will agree when more information is revealed as well as when the story progresses to the reasoning behind Sam's disappearance.

Alright, that's mostly everything I wanted to cover from last week so I'll quickly recap this week's chapter and send you guys on your way.

First things first. Huge shout-out to my beta-reader Astro for reading this chapter as quickly as they did. This chapter in particular is over 10k words and like… Astro, you the real MVP.

What'd you guys think of this chapter? How'd you like Kwan and Danny's interaction? What do you think is happening with Danny? Were you happy that Dash left his house instead of putting up with his dad? Was that scene between Dash and Danny as angsty as you've all been waiting for? (These are all very important questions and not ways to inflate my ego, trust me)

The title of this chapter comes from the song "The Bastards, The Vultures, The Wolves" by The Wonder Years. The full lyric is, "And yeah I came out swinging/But I'm still walking out with two black eyes and a split lip". I'd never officially picked a chapter to assign this lyric to but I've always known it'd end up being a chapter title. I felt that given the last scene in this chapter, the lyric finally had a match.

Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and the fic in general. I really appreciate each one of you, your comments and thoughts are so appreciated. And if you've read this far, have a virtual football-shaped cookie. (Or one in the shape of a broken quarterback, whatever you prefer ;p)

Have a great week, I'll see you next time!