Summary – The night comes to an end, with surprisingly happy results.

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'An Understanding'

Tommy

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Jumping up, Zack points damningly at me. "See we told you! What did we say!" Apparently I missed something very big here. That's what I get for going to the bathroom.

"We should have known you can't be trusted!" Yeah when have you trusted me, Kim? Did I miss some split second where you didn't think I was trying to kill, hurt, or trick you?

"Okay first of all, you all you might wanna switch to decaf. Second-" Tossing Jason the coin with a flip of my wrist, I'm not the least surprised as he catches it easily. "-I just had to practically beg your mom to check on some nonexistent noise outside to get her out of your room and away from the coin, which you left sitting on your desk." I'm sure he probably thought it was safe in his room, but geez don't just leave it lying out in the open like that if you have nosey parents.

That's right look guilty and embarrassed. Do you know how hard it is to distract a forty year old woman who's suddenly found something of interest in her child's room?

"What were you even doing in his room, huh?" You know Kim if I could hit a girl…

"You have to pass it to get to the bathroom." Biting my tongue to keep certain words at bay, I swear I'm actually torn between wanting to smack her and kiss her. I've never met such a passionate girl before in all my life and when I finally do it's some five foot three, pink wearing, cheerleader. Go figure. "His mom was in there looking for an extra blanket worried you all would get cold tonight when she spotted the coin on the desk. I saw her go for it and cut her off, making up some lame story about hearing a crash outside. I grabbed the coin and hurried her back to her room to go tell Jason's dad."

"That's some story." Are you seriously saying you don't believe me? Fine see if I'm ever Pictionary partners with you again Zack.

About to respond, I'm cut off as Mr. Scott enters the room, flashlight still in hand. "Okay, well I checked, it was probably just raccoons getting into the garbage." Looking at each of us, no doubt wondering what on Earth is wrong to have us all facing off like this, he thankfully lets it go. "Must have shaken you kids up to have you all looking so on edge." You've no idea.

Pocketing his coin and giving his dad a nod, Jason clears his throat absently. "Yeah guess so."

"Well everything seems fine now." Giving us a quick 'good night' and heading back up to bed, he leaves us once more to the showdown which is now pretty much over by the looks of it.

"Yeah, crisis averted."

-oooooo-

(One packed bag and walk out later)

Heading out onto the porch, I think if I'm quick about it I can be home and sleeping soundly in ten minutes. If I run, five.

"Don't go." Starting to think he just likes stalking me. Closing the door behind him as apparently the others didn't feel like joining us out here, Jason truly looks miserable.

"Yeah see I put up with the attitudes, I dealt with the verbal pokes, I even took Kim's near miss porn fiasco in stride, but when your friends start thinking I've gone all homicidally evil again that's sort of my limit, okay." Not to mention I have a bad feeling one of them might try to smoother me in my sleep, so you know, prefer to not take my chances.

"I know they hurt your feelings, but when you walked in flipping the coin…" Yes in hindsight that was a very, very stupid move on my part. I'll admit it. As a matter of fact I did admit it as I threw my stuff back into my bag.

"It's fine."

"It's not." Grabbing hold of my arm before I can jump off the porch, he is nothing if not persistent. "You keep saying its fine and your fine, but it's not and you're definitely not. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially not by a group of people that you have to be around." God is he still on that? I have to make him understand.

"But that's the thing I don't have to be around them. You made me come here tonight. You made them come here. I know your intentions were good, but it was the wrong thing to do." Why is that so very hard for you to see? Why is it so important that we get along? Not everyone in the world instantly likes everyone else and we're no exception them and I. So geez, why, why push so hard?

"I just wanted everyone to get along. I…I don't want you to be alone in all this." You think I'm all alone? All this, it's all been about me? Oh man.

"I'm not." When he only looks skeptical I drop my bag and steer him over to the porch swing. "Jason I'm not alone." I'm sure I'll regret this, but it's probably the only way I'll ever get any peace. "After all we're friends right?"

Looking up in surprise, I suppose that smile right there is worth it. "Yeah, of course we are."

"So I'm not alone."

Still smiling, but looking a little less pleased, he at least surrenders to my logic. "I guess you're not." There now, that wasn't so hard. I put him at ease, tolerated the others for the majority of the night, and no one died. All in all I'd say it was a successful evening. "I'd still like you to stay though."

"Jason we may be friends, and me and the others may be ready to tolerate, maybe even get along with each other now, but I would have to be out of my mind to stay here." No offence to you or the others, but it's just not gonna happen tonight.

Snickering, he shakes his head. "Can't say I blame you."

Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I turn to head off. Aw, but look at him, sitting then all sad and pitiful. All he wanted was for everyone to be nice and friendly. "You wanna like, hang out tomorrow or something?"

"Yeah sure." Doesn't take much to make him happy does it.

"Alright. Later then."

"Later, bro."

The End

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To see the sort of sequel feel free to read 'Camping Chaos'.