Trent's alarm began to go off as he headed back to the party.

He saw several others looking at their phones at the same time. His people.

He took stock of everyone one by one as they gathered by the jeep. Mae and Gregg arrived with Melody, who was clearly a little tipsy at this point. Mae looked somewhat subdued and thoughtful. Gregg was grinning, looking eager to get back. Ann and Claire showed up, Claire with a joint and definitely somewhat stoned. They both looked like they were having a chill time. Bea and Angus showed up. Bea looked like Mae: thoughtful.

"How we doing?" Trent asked as he opened his door and grabbed a bottle of water. He twisted off the top and drank off half of it.

"I'm...buzzed," Claire replied with a goofy grin. "Feeling good."

"I am also feeling good," Ann said. "We're having fun."

"Same," Gregg said. "Although Mae's all weird and quiet now."

"I am not! I'm just...thinking."

"Yeah, speaking of thinking, what the fuck was that about? I thought I was going to have to run over with a tazer," Bea said.

"Wait, what happened?" Claire asked.

"Your brother is here," Mae replied.

"Wait, what? A tazer? What? Did he threaten you?" she asked.

"No, no, no," Trent replied quickly. "No, it was actually a really cool and chill conversation. He was just here to chill and that thing that always happens happened again."

"Oh, the thing where you bump into him while you're in the presence of an attractive woman you've totally fucking dicked down?" Ann asked. Mae and Gregg giggled.

"Yes, that," he replied.

"I'd be pretty fucking jealous, gotta admit," Mae said, looking at Melody.

She laughed awkwardly. "Well...it's appreciated, I guess. Just...weird. Given the circumstances."

"So what happened?" Bea asked.

"We started talking. He wanted advice. We went over to Mae. She did something awesome and sweet for me-"

"Shut up," Mae growled.

"-undeniably sweet and cute," Trent continued, and she sighed heavily. "And he kinda freaked out a little and walked off? Because like...I won't go into it because rules aren't rules unless they're applied evenly and I want to protect his privacy, but basically he had an amazing relationship once and he fucking tanked it by being a fucking moron."

"Oh, Wendy?" Claire asked. Trent nodded. She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Dipshit."

"So, I dunno, we talked about a lot of stuff, and he got mad because, like, he actually thinks I'm really cool? And that pisses him off."

"It'd piss me off," Mae admitted.

"Also, Bea, I found out why he was so fucking obsessed with you."

"...very interested to hear that," she replied.

"You were the first woman to really say no to him without their being some obvious reason, like being a lesbian or already dating someone," he said.

"...wow," she muttered, then rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Dumbass. Can't even handle-whatever."

"Anyway, uh, everything's cool. He was actually, like, the most reasonable I've ever seen him," Trent replied.

"Oh. Well, good," Claire said.

"So, we all good to keep going?" he asked.

"I sure am, someone brought Cards Against Humanity and that shit is fucking hilarious," Gregg replied.

"Yeah, I'm having a good time," Angus agreed.

The others all nodded and gave the same sentiment. Trent began to break up the meeting, then hesitated as he saw a small group of people had gathered maybe twenty feet away.

"Um...help you?" he asked.

They seemed like a random assortment of half a dozen or so people, all of them holding something, what he realized were books.

"You're, like...the guy, right? The writer?" one of them asked finally.

"Yes," Trent replied.

"Could we get autographs?"

"Oh, uh, yeah sure," he replied, going into his pocket. He pulled out his pocket knife and accidentally activated it. "Uh, whoops, you didn't see that," he muttered, closing it quickly and putting it back, then he got a pen out.

Most of them had Demontower, but two had his ghost in space story. He signed all of them and answered a few questions. It still felt utterly surreal. In all, he signed eight books. At the end of it, he put his pen away and looked over. Bea, Ann, and Melody were all staring at him with a really specific look on their faces.

"What?" he asked.

"I mean, eight people just lined up to get fucking autographs from my writer boyfriend," Bea said.

"Yeah, that sums it up," Ann murmured.

"Actually makes your birthday even more enticing honestly," Bea said quietly.

"What about my birthday?" he asked.

"Nothing…" Bea replied with a grin.

"So you guys have something planned? I mean, beyond like a regular birthday?" he asked.

"You don't need to know about that," Mae said, and Ann chuckled. Then so did Melody.

"Wait are you like all in on it?"

"I'm not. I have no idea what's going on," Gregg said.

"We will speak no more of it," Mae said firmly. "You, boyfriend, will get your present when the time is right. Which is not now. So STFU about it."

"All right, all right," he replied. But he was curious.

"So, back to the party?" Bea asked.

"Yeah, let's get back to it," Trent replied.

It was midnight now, and they were meeting again.

Trent was tired. It had been a fun night. He'd probably talked with twenty different people over the last four hours. Melody had been hanging on his arm pretty much the whole time, and then Claire had come to do the same when she'd gotten buzzed enough. As fun as it had been, Trent was feeling burned out and ready to just be home and away from people.

Well, besides the people he lived with.

There were maybe a dozen people lingering around the bonfire, which had shrunk to something much more tame. They were all talking quietly about this and that, mostly shared history, growing up in Possum Springs. They all seemed to be around Trent's age. He felt a strange sense of dislocation when he looked at them. He'd overheard some of their conversation as he'd just sat and stared into the fire. They were all stuck here, it seemed, in Possum Springs.

Some of them didn't seem really bothered. A few had kids. Some were pretty bitter about being stuck. Their prospects didn't sound very great. When he left, they were talking about job opportunities in Briddle and Hunwick.

"So, how we doing?" he asked as everyone gathered.

"Tired," Mae said. "Wanna go home."

"Yep," Ann agreed.

"Yeah, I'm about there," Bea said, and the others murmured in agreement.

"Well cool, then, let's-"

"Incoming," Mae said, looking back at the bonfire.

Trent turned around. He saw one figure had detached from the group and was walking towards them now. It was Chris, with a weirdly sheepish look on his face. They all watched him as he approached, which only made him seem even more awkward.

"Hey, um...can I get a ride? I came here with a friend and apparently he fucking ditched on me," he asked.

Everyone looked to Trent. He considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, all right. Um...Angus, could you and Gregg take a few of us home? We can't all fit in my jeep."

"Yeah, sure," Angus replied.

"Um...I guess, Ann and Melody? You good to go with them?"

"Sure," Melody replied, and Ann nodded.

"Okay, cool. Thank you."

"Thanks," Chris said awkwardly as they began getting into the jeep. As Bea got in the front seat and Mae and Claire got into the back, Chris hesitated. "Uh...I'm kinda drunk, so I guess I'm cool to just lay in the trunk?"

"Just don't throw up," Trent said, walking back and opening up the trunk.

"I'm not that drunk," Chris replied, climbing in.

This was still really weird. He closed the trunk firmly and then got into the driver's seat. He started driving them back home. For awhile, it was nothing but awkward silence.

Finally, Chris cleared his throat. "Um...I have a favor to ask."

"Another one?" Mae asked.

"Mae," Trent said. She sighed but held her peace.

"Yeah...I was going to ask earlier but I kinda...bitched out. Um. It's, uh, for Bea. From Bea, I mean."

"Man...I'm not in a giving mood when it comes to you," Bea said, "but...I'll at least listen."

"Thanks," he muttered, then cleared his throat. "Um...could you maybe talk to your dad about giving me my old job back?"

"Wow. Huge ask," Bea said.

"I know. I fucking hate my job. It's driving me crazy. And I feel like it'd drive me crazy even if I wasn't...I guess how you think I am."

"I told you," Claire muttered.

"I won't argue about it. I was wrong. I actually thought it was easy but, like, fuck. It's a nightmare. Talking to these idiots all day. I don't even mind the idiots, it's the assholes who really fucking get on my nerves. And that fucking bell."

"Yeah! You're gonna start hearing that shit in your sleep eventually," Claire said.

It was silent for what felt like a long time after that. Finally, Bea sighed. "I'll talk with my dad about it, but that's all I can give you."

"I'll take it. Thanks. For real."

"Yeah," was all she said.

They drove in further awkward silence until he reached the entrance of the trailer park Chris lived with his parents in.

"Here is fine," he said, opening up the trunk and getting out. He closed it and then came up to the driver's side door. "Uh...thanks. For everything."

"You're welcome," Trent replied.

Chris lingered for a moment, then just gave a little wave and walked off. They started driving again.

"I'm not, like, pissing you off by being nice to him, am I?" Trent asked, glancing over at Bea.

She sighed. "No. Honestly...I'm annoyed because you're doing the right thing and I'm still...pissed. And there's a part of me that is all like 'I have a right to tell him to fuck off, he can fucking eat shit and die', but then there's this other part that's like 'Trent's right, move on, you don't have to be his friend but you can at least just let it go'...you're a better person than I am."

"I don't know if it's that simple," he replied after a moment.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to say. But, like, I guess...there's so many things that make up people. And it's easy to say 'just let go' or 'just be the bigger person'. For some people, that's easy. For others, it's harder than fuck. Maybe even impossible. It's like telling someone with legs 'wow you're a great walker'."

Mae snorted, then laughed, then sighed. "Sorry, that was funny for some reason. Ignore me."

He chuckled. "Well, anyway, imagine that. But then imagine someone else who has no legs and they're all like 'man, you're a better person than I am because you can walk so good', but it's like, you don't have legs? That's not your fault? I'm getting the feeling that almost everything is like that. I mean, maybe not to that extreme, but you get my point?"

"So what, you're saying you're genetically predisposed to forgive? And I'm not?" she asked.

"I mean...basically? Or at least that's it very possible. Plus, I mean, not forgiving someone doesn't make you a bad person. You are allowed to not forgive someone if they wronged you. And he did. I don't think you're a worse person than me, or even bad at all, for struggling to forgive, or even to choose not to forgive, Bea. Or Mae. It's just...it's a thing we all have to decide for ourselves. We're allowed to make these decisions, and we're allowed to change our minds later, too."

"That's a good point," Bea said after a long moment. She sighed. "I didn't want to think about this shit tonight. Wanted a party. I guess I'm just being selfish, though. I got one...don't worry about me, I'll be all right. Just feel weird."

"It's a really weird situation," Mae muttered.

"Is this fucking you up, Claire?" Bea asked suddenly. "I feel like such a bitch, talking shit on your brother…"

Claire sighed heavily. "I don't even know. I'm not mad at you, if that helps. He's an asshole, but...I'm glad he seems to actually be getting his shit together and being, like, nice? Don't worry about me."

"Well...okay."

They pulled into the driveway not much later, passing Angus and Gregg who were on their way back home. They headed inside and found Ann and Melody sitting on the couch. Well, Melody was laid out, almost asleep.

"Hey...handsome," she murmured, grinning as she saw Trent.

"Hello, beautiful," Trent replied.

"Everything go well?" Ann asked.

"Yep. Dropped him off, everything was chill. He asked Bea to help him get his old job back."

"Wow. Like, bold," Ann said.

"He wasn't an ass about it, at least. I said I'd speak to my dad about it. I will at the party," Bea replied.

"Do you want him to get his job back?" Melody asked.

"...I don't know. I'm not thrilled about the idea of him being around the Pickaxe. But I'm also not thrilled about Creek being there either and he is so…?" She shrugged.

"Wait. That guy, Creek. What's his deal again?" Trent asked. "I remember you complaining about him at one point."

"Ugh," Mae said.

"He's a pervert who goes after high school girls," Bea said.

"Wait, holy shit, he does? Like...what? Anyone we might know? Well, I guess Lori's the only one we know, although we're all not that far out of high school…"

"Well…" Bea said, and then fell silent, thinking. "Um...hmm. You know, now that I actually think about it, I can't come up with a single solid example. I can't even think of, like, a rumor."

"So...wait, why do you guys think this about him? I mean, did you ever see him hitting on an underage girl, maybe at a party or something, or…?"

"...no," Bea said. "I guess my dad just told me to never be alone with him. And I've always gotten kind of like a weird vibe from him?"

"Huh. I mean, I guess I did too, but like...are we sure he's not just a kinda weird guy who has actually done nothing wrong and everyone just hates on him because he's weird?" Trent asked.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Um...I guess we can't confirm that," Bea admitted. "I dunno, I'll ask my dad about that, too, I guess. It'd be nice to know one way or another." She yawned. "I'm tired."

"Same...I think I need someone to fuck me to sleep," Melody said, grinning at Trent.

"Me too," Ann said.

"Same," Mae said.

"Oh my fucking God, you all are going to kill me," Trent complained.

"Hey, you picked this life, man," Bea said, grabbing his wrist. "Come on, fuckboy."

She shrieked as Trent swept her suddenly off her feet and began carrying her upstairs. The others followed, giggling.