After The Gods Have Died Chapter 7

Pins & Needles

Callum felt sick and it had nothing to do with the drinks he'd had last night. No his stomach rolled and protested because of something entirely unrelated to any liquor he'd consumed. In the elevator, headed up to his apartment, the exorcist had noticed a glint on his finger. That ring. That goddamned ring. He'd left it in his bedroom, he knew that he had, how in the world had it found its way onto his finger again? This wasn't something he was equipped to deal with, not on his own at least. He was going to need research, there had to be a way to turn off this targeting, tracking thing that it was doing. Wasn't their demon stalker enough? Did they really need something like this too? They must have been getting desperate to bring him home, they'd never gone that far before. He could lose the tail but the ring, that was clearly not as easy a task.

Still the minute he got in he took the damned band off, sitting it next to the sink in the bathroom. Something clearly triggered its appearances on his finger, he wasn't sure if it was just time or distance based. Callum checked his phone for the time, every few minutes he'd do a check, just to make sure he was still ring free. Now was a good time for that, he wasn't going anywhere else today. He didn't really want to do anything else today either, other than sleep but he needed to look for some more work. The bills weren't just going to pay themselves. At least looking for work didn't mean walking around hoping to find something. No he could curl up in bed with his computer and look that way. It wasn't always a super effective method but it was all he felt up to today.

Three hours later and Callum was pretty sure his luck had run out. There was nothing. All of the usual places that would have leads were either full of garbage or it listed that someone was already hired to investigate. It cost more to get to some of the false alarms than what he would make on the preliminary exams. What Callum really needed to do was find someplace the Fortuna family wouldn't usually go to and hope there was a fuck ton of paranormal problems there. Not like there was anything to keep Callum tethered in the heart of society and hell, it might even be easier for him to evade his family that way. Maybe once he was free of this black band of terror he would do it. No sense in moving if they could only track him down again. At the rate that jobs were not appearing he was going to need to move sooner rather than later. It was frustrating, he really didn't want to change careers. In fact, he wasn't qualified to do anything else.

He almost forgot to check his email before he closed his laptop, remembering just before it had shut all the way and put itself to sleep one more. Not that it mattered really, all he ever seemed to get was junk but it couldn't hurt just to check. Loading up the page for it he snorted a little to himself. A whole one new email, how exciting.

It wasn't just an email. It was actually from someone who seemed interested in hiring him. A quick read through looked promising, there wasn't anything that immediately popped out as hoaxish or joky and it didn't shy away from the topic of his fee. Usually it took phone calls before most potential clients would admit his time would actually need to be paid for, they seemed to think it should be a free service. If lives were in danger, Callum probably wouldn't just leave it alone or refuse to help until a cheque was in hand but still, he needed to make a living too. The only problem with this email was that it was vague in a few key places. The contact name was only a first name and the email address looked like it might have been a dummy one.

Suddenly this email was seeming less and less like a job opportunity and more like someone’s elaborate idea of a joke. Damn. He'd gotten his hopes up over nothing. He replied to it with his usual speech to get rid of troublemakers, basically stating he'd prefer to discuss the job over the phone, adding his number to the signature. On the off chance it was real then maybe the sender would be desperate enough to actually call, though he wasn't going to hold his breath for something that was so unlikely.

With that email sent off and out of the way, Callum decided it might be time for a nap. The ring had yet to make its way back onto his finger and he was so tired from being up all night that a nap seemed like a fairly safe way to pass the time. He just wiggled into a better sleeping position and let his eyes close. He could almost hear his body give a sigh of relief as it relaxed, muscles sinking into his bed. Perfect, this was just what he needed.

The shrill shriek of a phone ringing in his ears was exactly the opposite of what he needed.

Callum had been asleep enough that his vision was blurry as he hunted for the noisemachine, planning to destroy it for waking him. Except it wasn't a number saved in his phone book or a 1-800 line either. Clearing his throat first he answered it instead of throwing it, curious about who might have been on the other line. “Hello?”

“Hello. May I please speak to Callum Taggert?” The woman's tone seemed to ignore the groggy question of a greeting, almost chipper as she used his full name.

“Speaking.” Single word answers were about all he could manage.

“Hello Mr. Taggert. I'm calling you in regards to an email that was sent out earlier today?” An email? So it had been for a real job, thank the gods he'd had the sense to actually send out his number. “By boss would like to discuss possible employment wit you. He's aware of the fact that services such as yours are not cheap but he would like to schedule an assessment with you.”

“When and where?” Callum was already reaching for the tattered notebook he kept track of his work in, anyone who didn't seem eager to argue price with him was an automatic yes. The thing was falling to pieces and he almost lost a page in its retrieval but he wasn't about to spend more money on an agenda or something else while this one still had some black spaces left to fill.

“Well, your website states you are currently working all across North America correct? How soon are you able to make it to British Columbia?”

The exorcist had to do some serious thinking. He could bus there but it might take a few days to scrounge up the fare and the trip wouldn't exactly be a fast one. It would mean crossing nearly the entire country to get there. “Probably a week at the earliest. I have to look up what my transit times would be.”

“When you have that figured out, please send me an email with the information, my boss will purchase whatever ticket you need and have sleeping arrangements made for you.” Did this woman ever drop the cheery routine? She sounded like it was caffeine instead of blood running through her veins. Then again, her chirpy voice had just told him he wasn't going to need to find extra funds somehow, Callum should probably be more tolerant of it. “My boss would very much appreciate it if you could get to us as soon as you can. Have a great rest of your day Mr. Taggert.”

She was gone before Callum could ask who her employer even was or protest her use of mister in conjunction with himself. Even with no information about this potential client, the redhead was hesitant to give up the possible money this could bring in. If they were willing to buy his way out there then they likely wouldn't fight his quotes. At least he hoped that they wouldn't. Of course there was always a risk this was a trap set by his grandmother but Callum wasn't too worried about it. He'd dodged them enough times in the past and he could do it again if the need arose. As long as he had the funds to pay for a ticket home it should be easy enough to escape their grasp. With a possible job in the picture now there was no way that Callum could really nap, there was no need to, he had something he needed to do. Travel plans weren't just going to figure themselves out.

Callum figured out the Greyhound route he'd need easily enough, choosing what seemed like the most popular terminal in the province to be his final destination. He didn't even know what city to be looking for. It would take a couple of days on the bus he'd live. The paycheques would be nice, plus there was at least one place he knew of that he could go to for research on the bullshit of the ring. By the time he came back from this Nile would have moved on as well, which was another bonus of sorts. He liked the vampire, or rather liked him as much as one could like a demon, but blooddrinkers weren't exactly known for their loyalty or kindness towards their human lovers. Even if this job didn't work out it would have its benefits. With the route picked out he sent the information to the same email address as before. The starting point he'd picked was about a city over, there was no way he would give out his actual location so easily.

It was barely half an hour later when he was emailed a reply. In it he was told his ticket information, hotel accommodations, and other methods of transportation he might need once there. That was far more thorough than he'd expected, if he'd picked a flight instead would they have paid for that as well? He'd never know now but the hotel he was being put up in sounded fancy enough, he'd never heard of it but resorts tended to be far out of Callum's financial range. To have booked a return ticket however, the exorcist wasn't sure how to feel about that. Whoever was looking to hire him was clearly optimistic about Callum actually taking them on as a client, which he supposed was fine but his return ticket was for two weeks from now. How long exactly did they think this was going to take him? Whatever, he'd get them to change it for him when he was actually done, he wasn't going to stick around longer than needed. No time to be a tourist in his life right now. He checked the date on his ticket, tomorrow, that didn't leave him a lot of time to prepare for it, he'd need to pack tonight if he wanted time in the morning to get to a library so he could actually print his ticket out.

Packing up for this job almost felt like packing up for good. Callum had almost nothing in the way of possessions, all of his important things like his piercings and computer and clothing were coming with him. It was kind of sad that almost everything he owned could fit into just two suitcases, even if they were on the large size and he was a bit of a wizard at organizing them. Everything away like this, it felt like he was getting ready to say goodbye to the little place. Maybe this would be. Maybe it was time to move on. He wasn't sure what emotion wanted to surface when he thought about that. He would focus on the task at hand, the possible job, not the more distant future. That future wasn't really that far away but he needed to see where this job would leave him. With too many questions in his head, he drifted to sleep, not even bothering with a blanket for now. When he woke up he'd be able to just roll out of bed and go.

Though his night was a dreamless one it still felt restless, like his journey had already begun, tugging him into a foggy, unclear future. When he woke there was a weight about his finger. The ring wouldn't let itself be left behind, of course it wouldn't. The worst part about that was that he wasn't all that concerned about it anymore, there was more important things on his mind.

Skeptics and Psychics Chapter 5

‘So you said you’d be here at like 7:30, and it’s like 7:31 you are late.’

Stardust didn’t even bother to send the text with his name attached. He wanted it to startle and surprise Cori when he got it, he didn’t want to make it a big deal that he’d finally gotten his hands on a cellphone, even though it definitely was. Cori’s number was the third number to go into his phone, the first two had belonged to his dad and then the fourth was his mother’s number. It was kind of sad but that was likely going to be it for his contract book until he got back to school and he could ask his friends for their numbers then. Still, it was nice to have numbers stored somewhere other than in a notebook, he was terrible at memorizing them but the little notebook just seemed so awkward to carry around.

‘Wow. You must not have looked out your window then because I definitely pulled in right at 7:30. You’re the one who’s late now.’

When he got the text, Stardust peeked out of the kitchen window, it had a view of the driveway. Cori was actually there, he’d clearly parked, got out, then checked his phone because he was holding it in his hand, leaning against the roof of the car. Stardust grabbed the money his dad had insisted on leaving for him for dinner, a twenty, shoving it into the pocket of his almost too tight jeans before he headed outside.

“It’s hard to move fast in this pants okay? I’m just fashionably late.”

“As in fashion made you late?” Cori had already been grinning but at Stardust’s joke he laughed. He looked good, good enough to make Stardust more than a little self conscious about his own outfit decisions for the day. How was it that someone else could make skinny jeans looks so much better? It was probably the way his butt filled out the back of them. The peach haired teen was convinced that his date for the night had a better butt than he did. “Well, I’ll accept that excuse since you look super cute today.”

“Whatever, like you don’t look like you stepped off a magazine page.” Stardust countered, face hot from the blush on his cheeks. “But thanks.”

“My sister’s influence. Take it up with her.” Despite the lighthearted conversation there was a heaviness to Cori’s tone when he replied. It was mirrored in his eyes though Stardust only caught it for a brief moment before the older teen had his eyes glued to the road, taking them somewhere only he knew. It left the passenger wondering if there had been a fight or something recently, to make him look so sad even for just a moment. He wouldn’t really know what it was like for siblings, he’d always been an only child.

“More like thank her. You look amazing. Where are we going for food?” Stardust wasn’t sure what it was, but there was a nagging feeling in his stomach that told him they should move onto a different subject. The one they were one was starting to drag the night now and it had only just begun. He didn’t want to mess up the first date he’d had in months just because he didn’t know how to have a conversation.

“We only have like, a handful of places in town to go for fast food? There’s one really good place for burgers that’s like, family run but I was thinking we could save that for another day? Mostly because my friend decided she needs a lift after work after all.” Cori grinned over at his sheepishly. “If that’s okay. If not I can tell her to suck it up and just wait for us.”

“That’s okay. Where does your friend work?” It was more than okay really. Cori had said another day, as in, right now, he still wanted to see Stardust again after this. That was exciting, more exciting than a party really, although he knew this party could really make or break his chance with the other teen.

“Timmies? They have like, sandwiches and stuff. And it’s my treat because I’m making you go there instead of this super amazing burger place that is just to die for.” Using a red light as a break the driver turned to beam at his passenger, like he’d been really surprised that Stardust had said yes to going someplace like Tim Hortons. It wasn’t like he was all that picky, anyplace was a treat really.

“Timmies is great. I like their doughnuts. Which I might have to guilt from you along with one of those sandwiches.”

“Tell you what, I’ll get you a whole meal deal so that you get a drink on top of all that. Treat you like a prince.” Cori was extremely charming, especially when he laughed like that, all bright and clear like he was having the time of his life. If Stardust wasn’t in the car alone with him he might have sighed over it. This was a bad crush but at least so far it wasn’t being ridiculed.

“Well then, that just sounds like a dream come true.”

It didn’t take all that long to get to the Tim Hortons in question though the area looked familiar to Stardust. When he got out of the car he backed up a little in the parking lot, staring up at the building while Cori watched. It took him a moment but he did recognize the place. This was the location his mom had dropped his off at, the new one that his dad didn’t remember about until Stardust had been left waiting forever. Not that he really blamed his father for that anymore. A lot of it had to do with the fact that his mother wouldn’t wait around and risk seeing Torvald. If she’d stayed there would have been emails that his dad could have received a hell of a lot faster than a voicemail on his home phone.

The face behind the counter was far easier to recognize than the building had been. It was the nice girl who’d given him the phone and the extra iced coffee when he’d been waiting forever. He didn’t know if she remembered him at all, though she clearly knew his date. She smiled over when Cori came in, waving at him while she served the woman in front of them who seemed to be getting enough coffee for a small army. That was okay, it gave Stardust a chance to actually look over the menu and pretend like he knew what he wanted.

“Cori! You are saving my butt from having to call Begonia, you’re the best!” The girl greeted the older teen first when it was their turn up at the cash. This had to be the friend they were here to pick up. “Oh, and you actually do have a date! I don’t know why I doubted you, it’s not like you’re ever wrong right?”

“Petunia, bring it down.” Cori actually looked a little nervous or perhaps embarrassed about his friend’s energy. Stardust just thought it was kind of sweet to see how excited she was to see them. “We would like to make an order since someone broke into our dinner plans.”

“And that someone is extremely grateful that she did. She’ll even offer to be the DD for tonight if you want and she’ll totally take your order.” With the last bit she actually did tone it down a little, straightening her shoulders and bringing her fingers up to the touch screen that served as her register.

“I don’t need a DD, but I definitely need one of those turkey clubs on white with a medium double double and a chocolate dip doughnut. And then whatever Stardust is getting.” Cori tugged Stardust a little closer with the announcement of his name. The peach haired teen had been kind of hovering behind Cori while he chatted with his friend but now he was standing next to him, the other teen’s hand still hanging onto his arm. If having attention drawn to him hadn’t already made him blush that little, light touch definitely would have.

“Um, I just want a BLT please? With a hot chocolate and a boston cream doughnut?” It felt strange for Stardust to be ordering more than one thing at a time. Usually when he was the one placing the order it was because he'd been given an allowance and he was trying to stretch it out for as many days as possible. He'd rather have a small snack everyday than one big meal one day. It felt even weirder for him because someone was treating him. Normally when someone wanted to treat him he'd turn it down but he wasn't sure what the etiquette was like for dates and he didn't want to mess that up.

“Size for the hot chocolate?” Petunia’s question had Stardust floundering for a moment as he looked for the size options.

“Make his a medium too, or a large if he wants a large. Not a small.” Cori piped up for Stardust. When people spoke for him it more often than not pissed him off and put him into a bad mood but Cori had actually been right, he had been about to order a small mostly because it was less expesive that way. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, medium works.”

There was a small giggle from the girl behind the counter, one that got shushed so fast that it actually made Stardust suspicious. She'd been bubbly since they came in, it wouldn't have seemed so strange to see her laughing over what probably looked like a cute exchange but clearly it meant more to Cori than that. It left the peach haired teen watching him carefully even after he'd paid for it all and they'd gotten their drinks. Cori let Stardust pick where they sat while they waited for their food which only meant that they ended up sitting in a corner. They could still see the counter from there but it was quieter than the rest of the place.

When their food was ready it was Cori who hopped up to go fetch it, ignoring Stardust's offer to take his place. The city teen was still watching his date, not just his butt, as he headed up to the pick up section of the counter. The older teen exchanged words with his friend that were too low, too drowned out by the small crowd in here for the eavesdropper to hear but from her sheepish expression he wondered if she'd been scolded. Did he think that her high energy would scare Stardust off? That wasn't the case, it was nice to see that he had friends who cared so much about him. When Cori turned around to come back, Stardust whipped around to make it look like he'd been staring at an empty chair this whole time.

“Sorry for the wait.” Cori handed over the sandwich, sitting on a plate, as he sat down. Stardust knew that most Tim Horton's had actual china like this but most of the time, in the city, you had to ask for it specifically, otherwise they just wrapped everything up to go. It was kind of nice, made it feel a little less like fast food. “I just needed to talk to Petunia about something.”

“It's okay, thanks for grabbing it.” With one half of the sandwich in his hand, Stardust was too curious about the whole exchange to take a bite yet. He at least waited for Cori to finish the mouthful he'd taken before he decided to be nosey about it. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. She's just being really hyper about me actually getting a date. Last year was a bad year for me. She's just, you know, celebrating earlier than I'd like her too. I wanna make sure you actually like me before I cheer about having a boyfriend or something.” At the word boyfriend Stardust went red. Cori said it so casually, as if he thought it was a real possibility between the two of them. “Eat you, I bet all they have at the party is chips and maybe cupcakes that the hockey team will have already demolished before we even get there.”

“Right.” He smiled over his food before he took the first bite. He had to remember not to inhale it, that breathing and manners were a good thing to exercise, especially when on a date. He was just hungry because, despite knowing how to cook and fend for himself, he didn’t really like to do it and there’d been no leftovers in the fridge to reheat earlier when his dad had been called into work. Despite earlier claims that they’d be eating something small, the sandwich and doughnut had done wonders for filling Stardust up, at least for now.

“Okay loser and cool kid, I’m done working now.” Petunia came over while the pair were working through their drinks and desserts, emphasising her nickname for Cori with a light punch to his arm. She’d called Stardust cool though, smiling over at him with eyes that said she knew something he didn’t. It made him think back to the quiet conversation he’d not been privy to. Was there something more going on here? Was this all just a big joke to Cori? Or maybe, despite his claims from the other day, Stardust was his first adventure into the world of men? The peach haired teen wasn’t sure he wanted to be someone’s first when it might just be experimentation.

“Good. We aren’t done yet and you can deal with that.” Cori actually shifted seats, moving over to Stardust’s side to let Petunia in. At least that took her unreadable expression away from him and put it onto her friend. Plus Cori reached under the table to squeeze one of Stardust’s hands as if he could sense the nerves coming off of him. He’d not realized he’d been that easy to read but it was nice, it helped him feel better about it all again.

“So you don’t need a DD? Does that mean I’m free to consume whatever god awful concoction they’re calling a punch?” Petunia didn’t seem to mind having to wait, she had a bag of sugar all her own, popping a timbit into her mouth following her question.

“Ew, yeah. You can and that reminds me. Stardust, I recommend only grabbing the canned drinks there, unless you want to be drinking. They spike everything and the punch Petunia is interested in is really just a mix of whatever alcohol they could get their hands on preparty. It’s nasty.”

“It’s not nasty. It’s effective. One of those and you’re good for the night.” Petunia didn’t seem to agree with Cori like Stardust did. It was good to know that he should basically be avoiding anything that had been preopened. His dad had only said to be careful but drinking didn’t seem like a very smart move, not surrounded by strangers.

“It’s good to know. I’ll be avoiding it then.” Stardust voiced his gratitude over the warning, giving Cori’s closest hand a little squeeze of his own.

“That’s cool. I’m still drinking it. I’m glad Cori found someone whose mind he can actually re- ow!”

A soft thunk had given away the kick that had caused the sound of dismay. She stopped whatever it was she’d been saying, pouting over at Cori. That just made Stardust even more curious but it was clear whatever subject it was this girl had been boring on was a touchy one for his date. Maybe some other time, if he could ever get her alone. Not that he would go out of his way for that to happen, sure he was curious but if it was really important Cori would tell him at some point or another, wouldn’t he? Either way, it wasn’t something to dwell on for the night. There was a party to go to and Stardust was determined to have fun.

Skeptics and Psychics Chapter 4

“So, is it okay if I go?”

Stardust had waited until after dinner to ask his dad about the party. If he'd been at home he would have just told his mom he was going out and left the number of whoever was driving him,there was no need to ask for permission but he wasn't home. He didn't know how his dad would feel about any parties Stardust might want to attend. Just to be safe he'd left out that he was to go as Cori’s date, letting him think the other teen was just a friend.of course, Stardust had no idea how his dad felt about the LGBTQ community but now was probably not the best time to find out. Besides, it was still too early to assume this thing with Cori was going to be anything at all, he'd cross that bridge when the time felt right.

“You said his name is Cori? Is that the Verbena kid?” Of course his dad would ask what Cori’s last name was. Stardust hadn’t thought to get it, mostly because Cori hadn’t asked for his either. He could just be assuming his was the same as his father’s but that wasn’t the case, he went by his mother’s maiden name.

“Honestly dad, I don’t know. He’s got purple in his hair. He’s a year older than me.” Cori had confirmed he was seventeen when they were on the swings, mostly because he was declaring that he would never be too old for that sort of thing. The city teen agreed with him there, he loved swingsets, even if there weren’t many back home that he could really fit into. Most of them were baby and toddler swings.

“The Verbena kid.” This time it wasn’t a question, it was an answer. At least he seemed to know who it was, maybe that would help him out. Then again, maybe it wouldn’t. If his dad was homophobic and Cori was as out as he seemed, maybe his dad would decide he wasn’t the kind of person that Stardust should be hanging out with. Which of course wouldn’t stop him, it would just mean that he would have to get sneaky.

“Well?”

“Oh, yeah. You can go. Just try not to drink too much and be safe okay?” His father’s expression was conflicted as he made the remark, like he wanted to tell him not to drink at all and to stay away from anything that was likely illegal but didn’t want to seem like a downer.

“I don’t really drink anyway. I’ll be good.” That seemed to help his dad out a little, his expression went from worried parent down to thoughtful parent. “I’ll ask him not to bring me home too late. I just figured it might be after midnight and since I can’t call you, it would be better to tell you know.”

“Oh yes, actually, about that.” Torvald got up from his seat, heading to his office to rummage around in the mess there for something. Stardust had figured out pretty quickly that though the rest of the house was fairly tidy, his dad’s office was a disaster zone. It looked like how he liked to work when he was doing bigger assignments or art projects. It was funny to see, knowing that his mother was only a few steps away from being declared a clean freak,  clearly it had come from his father’s side. Watching his father hunt for whatever it was that was on his mind, Stardust could see why his mother often asked him how he could find anything in his messes. It looked impossible.

Just like Stardust when he was working on his own projects, it was clear his dad knew generally where his target was located. It really didn’t take him long to come back with a little box in his hand, holding it out for his son to take. The teen didn’t take it right away, staring at the text on the outside of the box. It was a cell phone. He didn’t know if it would be classified as good or bad, any phone would be good to the teen. His dad moved it a little closer and he felt obligated to take it from him now. The weight in his hands felt strange, like it was heavier than he expected from such a small little package. He looked up at his dad who was settling back into his favourite chair, clearly not realizing that this needed an explanation.

“What?” Stardust voiced his confusion, hoping to prod an answer from his dad.

“Well, you said you didn’t have a cell phone right? It must be hard, being your age and not having one, when everyone else does. I just thought it might come in handy.” Though his father was clearly trying to make it sound like it wasn’t all that big a deal, it was a huge thing for Stardust. He didn’t want to let go of the box to open it, afraid that it was all just a strange dream and if he let go he’d lose it.

“I don’t have one because they’re expensive.” He said it quietly, knuckles almost white from the grip he had on the packaging. “Not even just the initial cost, the plans are bad too.”

“Well it doesn’t have a super great plan, I’m sorry about that. Mostly just the ability to call evenings and weekends for free, and text whenever you want. As for the initial cost, well, it was time for me to upgrade my phone but I’m perfectly happy with what I already have.” It wasn’t that his father didn’t understand just how big a deal this was to his son, it was the opposite. He knew that Stardust had assumed owning a phone of his own would be an impossibility and that he would always seem weird to his peers because of it. He just didn’t want to make the teen feel like it was pity that had made him go out and make the purchase. It had been love, pure and simple.

Torvald was not a cruel man, or a mean one. He’d always paid the child support he’d been asked for, sent extra on Christmas and birthdays but it was clear that the money he’d sent all of these years hadn’t gone exclusively to his son. Obviously Stardust was kept fed and housed and clothed, his mother hadn’t neglected that and she did care for him, that much was clear in the way that she’d spoken about him in her email to her ex-husband. Still she had fallen prey to an unusual addiction and that had clearly taken away the extra little things that would have improved his life. Gaming systems and laptops weren’t necessary in his life but a cell phone soon would be. If he thought Stardust would let him, he would have spent the summer spoiling him but he knew the teen was too proud.

“Thank you.” There was so much sincerity in the boy’s words it was almost painful to hear. Stardust didn’t even open the box, he just set it down gingerly before he got up to hug his dad. It was the first hug they’d shared since he was a small boy. Coupled with the emotions attached to the phone itself it made Stardust do something he’d not done in years. He started to cry, clinging to his father like he’d done to his mother so many years ago, when she’d told him that his father wasn’t going to be coming home anymore. The emotion had rushed him but just as quickly as it came, it subsided, leaving Stardust feeling a little silly and more vulnerable than he would have liked to admit.

“I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner. If I had known…” His father let the statement just hang like that, unfinished with too many unsaid words. Stardust wasn’t sure if he was more afraid to hear them or desperate to know what it was that haunted his thoughts. “I’m sorry.”

“Why didn’t you?” The question was out of his mouth before he could decide that he didn’t actually want to know. Now that it was out in the air with the rest of it he couldn’t take it back.

“Your mother told me not to come around. Said that I scared her, she was afraid my personal depression would affect you badly. I think one of those phone psychics might have helped her decide that but… She told me if I tried she’d run and then I couldn’t help you at all. I’d have nothing.” How could anyone handle such sadness? It dripped from his voice, fresh regrets only adding to the depth of it all.

“Oh.” Stardust wasn’t sure how to feel about that. His dad hadn’t fought for him, he’d just let his mother have control. He loved his mother but what kind of life would he have had if he’d been given the chance. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. All I can do now is try to move forward and make things right for you.” His dad sighed a little, rubbing his son’s back in a soothing motion that Stardust vaguely remembered from restless nights. He’d not felt this much like a child in years. “But let’s not focus on the past, not right now okay? This party, do you need anything for it? Clothes? Snacks? I know you said you had a ride.”

“No thanks dad.” The moment of nostalgia passed and the teen pulled away, shaking his head. He went back to his seat, both members of the pair choosing to pretend that nothing had passed between them. “I appreciate the offer but the phone is more than enough. I think it’s a casual party anyway.”

“Well, you tell me if that changes at all and I’d be more than happy to get whatever you need. Test out that phone tonight, if it doesn’t work, let me know in the morning and I’ll get it all fixed up for you before you get picked up. If you think of it, text me the address of the party? That way if anything happens and you need me, I can find you.” Even that offer seemed to surprise Stardust a little. His dad was always in bed by the same time, even when it didn’t seem like he had to work the next day. It was comforting to know that he would have a backup ride if something didn’t go as planned.

“Thanks dad.” He smiled a little, smearing tear trails on his cheeks. “I will.”

“Alright. Now uh, how about this movie? We can watch all of them tonight, make it a little marathon? Unless it's too old for you.” His dad offered, picking out a movie from the collection in the stand.

“Not too old. I love that movie, I've only seen the first one though.” Stardust got settled in his seat, opening up the box with his treasure at the heart of it. He started to charge it, face down, box lid overtop. Normally he would have been all over the piece of technology, but not now. Now he would watch a movie with his dad, leave the goofing off for later. In fact he got up from the chair he usually sat in to collect snacks for them both, choosing to sit back down on the couch with his dad rather than in the armchair.

It ended up being a late night, four long science fiction movies later, along with the promise of the prequel for another day. It was the most fun he'd ever remembered having with a parent, at least in the last few years. Sick from popcorn and candy it was well after midnight when they both stumbled up to bed. Before Stardust let his head hit the pillow, he put his first contact into the new phone. It wasn't just clumsy, tired fingers then made him fumble with the input of the contact name, it was the memory of the whole night weighing in on the decision. Slowly he backspaced his first autocorrect mess, putting in a different choice.

‘Dad’

It was the first time he'd called him that in text form. Torvald was more than just an absent father, he was a dad who loved him and regretted not being able to watch him grow up. He was a dad who really did care. Stardust saved the name and laid down, drifting into a comfortable sleep, feeling whole and safe and warm.

Skeptics and Psychics Chapter 3

The amount of nerves that Stardust was feeling over this little get together was actually ridiculous. He’d changed his outfit three times already and none of them were quite right. This was nothing more than just hanging out with a friend, what did it matter what he wore? Apparently it mattered a lot. So much so that Stardust had to stay away from the kitchen because the temptation to call and cancel just to eliminate the stress was so great. He finally settled on a oversized t-shirt and skinny jeans, fighting with his hair until he just tied it up into a messy ponytail. At this point he was basically out of time, it was the only way he even made a decision.

The sound of the doorbell only sealed his outfit’s fate. It beckoned him down the stairs, asking him to open the front door. Any other time and he would have hidden upstairs until whoever was had given up and left but this time he knew who it was behind the door and he actually wanted to see them. Tugging the door open Stardust cursed at the state of his own outfit. Cori was in a t-shirt and jeans as well but the way they hung off of him looked about ten times more fashionable than Stardust felt. Maybe it was the light scarf he’d accessorized with, or the bracelets and bands around his wrists. Either way he looked too good to be hiking, which was a plus at least, unless Cori was the kind to ruin brand names with mud.

“H-hey.” Stardust stumbled over his words. This was not good. Cute boys held the power to take away his ability to speak, there was no way he could last a whole trip out with Cori if he was going to mess up every word. “Uh, my dad made up some snacks and left water bottles? If we need?”

“Oh cool, water and snacks are perfect. Need a hand with them?”

“No, I’m good.” The bag that had been left for him at the door really wasn’t all that heavy, it was mostly just trail mix and a couple of rice krispie squares. Stardust was pretty sure the squares were homemade, his dad had shuffled about in the kitchen for longer than usual the night before which was really sweet. He’d have to thank him for it when he saw him later that night.

It turned out that Cori had a car, or at least access to one. Stardust would have to ask how old he was, to be driving on his own already, he must have been at least a year older. Stardust had the first half of his license but couldn’t get the second until next year. He didn’t really want to ask though, in case it turned out Cori was older than he’d suspected. Not that a number would change the crush that he was clearly quickly developing but it would determine if it was safe to proceed or not. The peach haired teen tended to be overly cautious about everything, he couldn’t just let loose the way teenagers were expected to. Even as he slid into the passenger’s seat next to Cori he was questioning himself.

“Okay, so I just got my G2 last week, I took the classes so I should be not terrible. I promise.” The driver grinned over at Stardust, helping soothe some of his worries. If he only just got it then he was probably sixteen like Stardust was, maybe seventeen, that was a better number than twenty five, at least at this wouldn’t involve jail time for anyone. That was always good thing.

“That isn't all that reassuring.” Stardust was only joking, smiling over at him. “I haven't even gone for my G1 yet. No time for the extra classes.”

“Really? Because up here there's really nothing else to do.” Cori started up the car, eyes on the road as he spoke. That was a relief to the teen passenger, a lot of his friends who were just starting to get their licences were bad for looking at their passengers while they spoke. It always made him wary about getting into the car with them. Even just as Cori drove down to the first intersection it was clear he was a careful driver. The classes had paid off.

“Unfortunately I decided to spend my summer hanging out with dorky nerds instead of learning to drive.” Stardust hoped that he hadn't just offended Cori with his playful teasing. A cheerful laugh from the driver cleared up his worry however, the older teen didn't mind being referred to as a ‘dorky nerd’. “Actually I just have no access to a car back home so I figured I'd save up for the classes until I’ll actually need it.”

“That’s smart. As a dorky nerd I endorse that plan.” Cori was still chuckling over that statement, Stardust was pleased about that. It was helping him relax.

He had no idea where his new friend was taking them, he’d lost track of the twists and turns they’d taken already. Still Stardust stared out the window, trying to take it all in. At one set of lights he spotted a sign that made him frown a little bit. He wasn’t sure why it surprised him but it had, he’d not thought small towns would have self proclaimed psychics like the city did. Wouldn’t word of mouth have spread around information on how much of a scam those people were?

“A psychic. Really? Even up here?”

“Why? Interested in knowing your future?” Cori was still joking, his tone light enough that it made Stardust soften just a little.

“No way. Those guys are frauds. I'd rather keep my money thank you.” He'd not been able to tone down his choice of words but at least his tone wasn't razor edged either. Still, despite his attempt to sound less rude, there was still a silence that hung in the air after his reply died. The teen glanced over at the driver, to see if he could read his expression. He couldn't. Cori’s smile had faded just a little,and he looked pensive but that could have been because he was focused on the road, pulling through the intersection when the light turned green. Somehow Stardust had still said the wrong thing.

“He's a little famous around town for being more right than most psychics.” Cori seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “Although people who go see psychics usually just want their decisions confirmed as the right one.”

“Or sometimes it's because they don't want to assume responsibility for their actions.” Stardust countered the point, looking back out the window. Cori was probably looking for somewhere to turn around now, to take him back home. “My mom is one of those people. She spends every penny to have someone tell her what to do.”

“Oh.” Cori glanced over at his passenger when they reached a stop sign, greeted with the sight of a small peach ponytail. “Well, psychics that are willing to help perpetuate that are frauds. They really shouldn't be milking someone like that.”

That helped Stardust calm down a little, his body language relaxing as he turned back to look at Cori. “Sorry. Just, hard with my mom or whatever.”

“Naw it’s cool. Hopefully the park helps clear those bad memories.” As he announced their end location he turned into a little parking lot.

This wasn’t like what got called a park back in Stardust’s city, those were just little bits of green with various pieces of playground equipment for kids to use. Little areas where kids could try to get some exercise while their parents rested on nearby benches and gossiped. This was definitely not that. There was no sign of playground equipment, just a lot of trees and a large grassy area that was currently occupied by a couple of dogs and their owners playing fetch and generally running around. There weren’t a lot of cars in the lot, Cori had his choice of anywhere while his passenger stared out of the window in surprise.

“This is so not a park. This is way too big to be a park. A park is like, swings and slides and shit.” Stardust informed him of that fact when the car engine died and seatbelts came off.

“There’s that too. If we go to the swings you’ll need to watch your language though, in the summer there’s usually kids here at all times.” Cori just seemed amused by Stardust’s bewilderment, grabbing the bag of snacks from him when they met at the hood of the car. “Come on. I thought it would be nice to go for a walk, then we can swing.”

This place was huge, Stardust couldn’t figure out how people didn’t get lost here. Cori seemed to know exactly where he was going, which was straight into the treeline. There was a path there, unpaved but trampled down more than enough to be clear. It wound around the whole of the park, branching off into smaller trails in more than one place, mimicking the trees all around them. Stubborn rocks and old roots seemed to find their way all over the path, something that the citydweller had to watch for constantly while Cori avoided them without trying. It wasn’t hiking but it was a little more that what he would have called just a walk at home. At least it wasn’t muddy in many places, there were a few damp patches of dirt but they were easy to avoid. In fact he would have had to really try to go through some of them. Even with all that added effort this was more fun than he would have expected it to be.

They chatted a little as they walked, though it was mostly Cori talking and Stardust adding little replies here and there. It wasn’t that the older teen wasn’t giving him a chance to speak, it was just that Stardust was too preoccupied to offer a lasting subject of conversation. He was a little more talkative when they got to a little clearing. It was still under the trees but it had a little bridge over a tiny stream and it was a little more flat than the rest of the path had been. About halfway over they both paused, watching the stream flow beneath them.

“So, do you have a girlfriend back home?”

The question startled Stardust out of the brief daydream he'd been having. Putting his chin on the palms of his hands he still somehow managed a small shrug. He knew what this question was, it was a subtle way of trying to see what he was all about and which way his interests swung. For a while he'd lied about it,made up a fake girlfriend but he'd since admitted to himself the truth and after that it was hard to stay in the closet. “Are you asking if I have a girlfriend for real or are you just trying to subtly ask me if I'm gay? Because I'll tell you right now it's not subtle at all.”

Cori just stared at the other teen for a moment, clearly trying to decide if he was being serious or not before he laughed. Laughter was exactly the opposite of what Stardust wanted to hear, making him push off of the railing he’d been leaning against, turning to head back to where they’d come in. He didn’t get very far, Cori grabbed his wrist to stop him from escaping entirely, the laughter dying out.

“Hey now, come on, don’t leave. I’m sorry I just, I was trying to subtly get some information from you but it wasn’t that.” At least he was being honest, or seemed like he was being honest enough that Stardust turned back around to face him.

“Then what? What were you trying to weasel out of me? I don’t like games, just ask me outright.”

“If you were single. I wanted to know if you were single or not.” Cori’s admittance wasn’t what Stardust had expected it to be and it left him speechless. He just started at the other teen, searching his face for an explanation or reason for this kind of joke. Stardust didn’t get the appeal to bullying, didn’t see how it could make anyone feel good to make fun of someone else but he also couldn’t see that kind of viciousness in Cori’s expression yet. In fact he still just looked amused as he raised his eyebrows at the intense stare. “Well?”

“Well what?” Stardust had been lost enough in his thoughts that he’d not put it together yet, what Cori’s question really was. He needed it spelled out to him.

“Well are you single or not?”

“I’m not. Why?” Stardust was still on edge but being completely rude to Cori was probably not the smartest idea. After all he had no way home if Cori decided to just leave him at the park. With no cellphone and no change in his pockets for a payphone he would be stuck here for who knew how long.

“Because there’s a party going on this weekend and I wanted to ask you to be my date. Wasn’t going to get my hopes up about it if you weren’t single though.” Stardust hadn’t met anyone who was this up front, this blunt about things before, at least not in person. Text on a screen was always more straightforward than face to face conversations. “So, you are single. Will you be my date?”

“Your date. For a party?” Stardust repeated the words back, mostly because they’d taken him so by surprise that he needed to stall, to give his brain a chance to comprehend the question.

“Yes. My date for the party. We’re a small town, not really a huge social pool to pick from so even gay kids like me get invited. Not that the host really cares all that much. She knows I know about her little trip to the other team last summer anyway, so she’d probably invite me just to keep my mouth shut.”

Hearing Cori refer to his sexuality so easily, so opening actually helped soothe some of Stardust’s nerves. He wasn’t in the closet either but he’d figured out here it would be so much harder to stay safe and stay out. If Cori didn’t find it too dangerous to just say it out loud then maybe he didn’t have to worry too much about it. It had been just the right thing to say to get the peach haired boy to consider it.

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll be your date.” He’d have to talk to his dad about it, if only just because he was pretty sure a party would mean coming home after the mentioned curfew.

“Really? Great! The party is on Saturday. It’s starts at like, seven or eight but it’s not really going to start until nine. I was thinking I could pick you up around seven thirty, we could grab something fast to eat before we go? Like burgers or something?” Cori seemed so excited about the idea of food first that Stardust wasn’t going to tell him he couldn’t really afford it. He could probably swing french fries or something, he was pretty sure his dad wouldn’t mind lending him a couple of dollars for that. He’d figure something out.

“Sounds good. Saturday, seven thirty ish.” Stardust agreed with the plan, trying to shove the butterflies in his stomach out of his mind. He was too excited for this, too please over how things turned out but it was hard for him to not be happy about this turn of events. Cori was really cute and really sweet, hopefully he wouldn’t turn out proving Stardust wrong.

“Perfect. Now, what do you say we find out if the swings are free?” The rest of the afternoon felt like a dream to the newcomer. He'd never expected to have a summer like this, not that he would ever admit as much to his mom. He was still mad about her sending him up here, he just wasn't so miffed to be here anymore.

Skeptics and Psychics Chapter 2

As great as trashy reality TV and ridiculous YouTube videos could be, they did get old after a while and it wasn't long before Stardust started to feel a little stir crazy in the house. His dad had taken him around town a little, a little meaning a trip to the local grocery store and a drive by of the little museum where Torvald worked mostly so that it could be found if needed. Beyond that he'd not really seen any of the place. Originally he'd seen no issue with that but now he was starting to crave the outside, even just for a minute or two. If he was smart he'd learn the area a little better and start going for runs again, to make sure he kept his place on the track and field team. At least that was enough motivation to get him off the couch, the risk of losing his possible scholarships.

He didn't dress for a run this time, the last thing he would need would be to get lost in a strange town wearing his exercise clothes. Instead he tried to keep it simple, as simple as his limited selection could allow. Jeans and a T-shirt, that was pretty normal. He'd wanted to wear a hoodie, to cover up the large graphic across the whole body of the shirt but it was too hot out and it would draw more attention than it would alleviate. He tied his peach dyed hair back into a small, messy bun, wondering if he could find a drug store while he was out. Hair dye wasn't cheap but he could probably spare ten dollars for one of the cheaper brands at least. There was a part of him that really hoped he couldn't find anything,he'd spent so long bleaching his hair to just the right blond then figuring out the right mix to make the pastel orange-pink colour. He'd been so satisfied with it, his school friends had cheered when he'd done the big reveal. It had taken him months to save up for all of the supplies. It was the only really outrageous, rebellious thing he'd allowed himself to do. It was probably better to change it now anyway, before he needed to start thinking about school interviews.

The walk towards the main portion of town was surprisingly easy to figure out. Stardust had gone the wrong way for a couple of streets before he noticed there was a thick wall of trees behind most of the houses in the direction he was headed. Plus he found a street sign that pointed in his original direction. Announcing the way to the lake which was on the outside of town, not in it. With that in mind and the main treeline at his back the teen headed towards town. The streets were so quiet that if it wasn't for the occasional dog walker and mom out for a walk with their stroller he would have wondered if this was a ghost town. He'd never been anyplace the quiet before, how could anyone stand it? At least when he got closer to a building that claimed to be a highschool, the smallest high school he'd ever laid eyes on, traffic seemed to pick up. This wasn't the main street his dad had shown him on the way in, that had been full of little tourist shops and fancy knickknacks, but it certainly seemed more main than the other had. There were actual chain restaurants that Stardust recognised and signs pointing to a squat building marked as a mall. This was probably the downtown area for residents.

There was a convenience store with a name that the teen didn’t recognize but that was alright, at least it was similar to things he remembered from home. Besides there were plenty of one off convenience stores where he lived as well and this area kind of reminded him of the more suburban parts of his home city. It was nice. The store itself was brighter than he was used to seeing, cleaner too but it at least had a row of slushie dispensers at the back. Something icy and sweet would be perfect just about now. He filled up a cup with a little bit of everything but the diet flavour, making a pretty display of colours that was already starting to melt into a mess. This was probably going to be a painful and over sweet mistake but right now he needed the cold part of it. Not that it was particularly hot out but all that walking had taken the warm into the ‘soon to be a sweaty mess’ area and he wanted to counter that as soon as he could.

He wasn't the only teen in the convenience store, he spotted the other as he filled up his third flavour. Normally he would have just averted his eyes and focused on his drink but today he found himself glancing over every few seconds to steal a look. Stardust wanted to know what kind of youth this town held, to know if this was going to be his last trip out or not. He wasn't going to risk his life if the place was full of small minded jocks who would kick his ass for any one reason, let alone all of the ones he could offer. Skin, sexuality, name, any of those things would be perfect for a classic bully to pick on. At least this kid didn't seem like a bully, his posture was too relaxed, a friendly smile on his face as he talked to the employee behind the counter for a bit. Stardust almost lost his drink to the floor when the other teen startled him, turning around to head to the slushie machine as he was peeking over. Had he seen the outsider staring at him?

At least with him filling up a cup of his own, Stardust could see him better. He was taller than the peach haired boy but that wasn't all that hard to do, he was fairly short and he'd given up all hope of getting a growth spurt now. He wasn’t just taller, he was a little bigger, though it was clearly a case of just being broader, his shirt didn’t quite cover his stomach, exposing just enough to show off muscle there. His hair was a mix of brown and purple, the dyed, streaky bits clearly in need of a touch up because of how long the roots were, the colour itself was still fairly vibrant. Stardust wondered how he kept the colour so bright, he had to mix a bit of his own dye into conditioner to keep the peach from fading to orange so quickly. If he wasn’t so hell bent on keeping to himself, he might have asked the stranger’s secret.

“Hey.”

Apparently keeping to himself wasn’t really something he was going to be allowed to do, the strange teen felt the need to pipe up. Stardust got ready to roll his eyes and ignore him but that preparation meant actually looking at the guy and that turned out to be a mistake. He had the sweetest smile Stardust had ever seen, at least on a stranger, aimed in his direction. The smile even reached his eyes, which turned out to be somewhere between a grey and a blue. As much as he wanted to be his usual sullen self, the genuine smile he was seeing here would leave him feeling guilty if he did.

“Uh, hey.”

“You’re new in town. That’s a great hair colour. I’m Cori.” The town teen held out a hand, looking to seal the greeting with a handshake. Stardust obliged him, trying not to stare at his eyes and failing miserably at it. The guy was really good looking, the kind of guy he’d stare at in class instead of paying attention. Thankfully none of his friends were up here to meet him. They’d never let Stardust live it down.

“Stardust. Is it that obvious?” He was sarcastic but he hoped it wasn’t coming off as too rude to this Cori. He was new in town and it wasn’t like he didn’t know he stood out with what he’d done to his hair.

“Totally is. I never forget faces and this is the first time I’ve seen yours. Nice to meet you.” His grin was just making it worse. If Stardust didn’t know better he would swear that the guy was just trying to be charming. “Did you move this way or are you just stuck here as a tourist because someone in your family thought this place might be exciting?”

“My dad lives in town so I’m visiting for the summer.” The conversation was distracting. He needed to add more slushie, going for a colour he'd already down absently.

“Really?” Cori put on a wince and hissed a little through his teeth with a shake of his head. “That sucks. There's nothing up here.”

“Yeah I figured that out on the drive in.” He agreed with the stranger about his town, though the bitterness he'd been feeling about it wasn't apparent in his tone now. Either he'd finally accepted it or he'd really needed to talk to someone, anyone about it, free of judgement. “Basically spending the summer the way I would have back home. YouTube and TV.”

“Oh no way.” The friendly teen really shook his head now, his expression serious. As serious as it could be at least, with the grin that was on his lips. “You are not spending all summer inside if this is your first time up this way. Unless of course you’re allergic to the outside and fun.”

“Didn’t you just tell me there’s nothing up here?” Stardust countered, smiling a little himself. At this point both boys had melting slushies begging for attention with beads of condensation rolling down cup sides and fingers. Neither teen paid them any mind, invested in this spontaneous conversation.

“There isn’t when you’ve lived up here your whole life but there is a whole host of touristy things that all youth in this town are forced to visit over the course of their life that I think you should also be subjected to.” Cori looked pleased with himself for that announcement, his countenance daring Stardust to disagree. “I’ll even torture myself again to make sure that happens.”

“Mmm, wow, that sounds super exciting and all but you know, I’ll probably have to pass. My dad works at one of those touristy things so I think that gives me an edge up here.” Stardust wasn’t really arguing with him, he hoped that the smile he wore would explain as much before he pissed off this nice teen. He wasn't really expecting to make friends this summer, but it would be nice, to be able to say that he at least had a few pleasant conversations for once.

“Oh? Is your dad Mr. P at the museum?” The kid dropped his sassy attitude, bringing up Stardust’s dad. He’d not thought that the town was that small but clearly he’d been mistaken if Cori could name his dad with only that clue. Either that or there wasn’t all that much in the way of tourist locations in the area either.

“Uh, yeah. Cat’s out of the bag on that one. So does that mean I get spared from all the touristy nonsense you were so interested in inflicting on me?” He asked, not even a little bit hopeful that his plea would work.

“No way. You gotta do all of the stuff now. But that’s cool, he always does the little history tours for school, he’s always super enthusiastic.” At least Cori didn’t sound annoyed by that, maybe, by some miraculous chance, Stardust’s dad was actually the good kind of nerdy rather than the kind that made students groan.

“Damn. Even if I say my dad’s already given me the history of the town in full?” He tried again, freed from the trap that was Cori’s eyes for just a moment, when he glanced at his watch.

“Even then. There’s more to do than just the museum. But I totally gotta run, my dad’s expecting me home, gimme your arm?” With a little confusion Stardust offered up an arm, understanding when Cori grabbed a marker from his back pocket and scrawled a series of numbers on the underside of his arm. It tickled but the shock from actually making what might have been a friend was enough to keep him from squirming or laughing. The numbers were large enough the teen wouldn’t be able to miss them or the name of the stranger underneath once he got home. It did however mean that Stardust would have to be the one to make that initial call. Perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad, it left the ball in his court. If he really didn’t want to see this guy again, he didn’t have to.

“Call me and let me know when you’re free okay? Or just call me to chat. I’d like that too.” Cori winked and headed to the counter with his drink, leaving Stardust to finish actually filling up his cup while he paid. The bottom was mostly a dark layer of liquid when he got to the counter, the door already long since closed behind the other teen. He fumbled to find the money he’d shoved into his pocket before leaving for a moment before the cashier stopped him.

“He paid for your drink. You’re good to go.” The girl behind the counter was probably college aged, the grin on her face suggesting she knew more than she was letting on. “So keep your money kid.”

“He did? Why?” Stardust wasn’t going to fight it, it left him a little more money for a treat later in the summer but he didn’t understand it. He grabbed the drink off the counter before she changed her mind, sipping at the delightfully cold liquid. It was all sugar and ice but that was okay, that was exactly what he’d been looking for in a drink today.

“I dunno. But he did so I guess you should definitely call him then.” The young woman giggled a little to herself, still looking like she had a juicy bit of information she was keeping to herself.

“You hear that then.”

“I did. He’s a nice guy. He’s friends with my sister.” Clearly she was more than willing to give out knowledge pertaining to herself. Stardust wondered if everyone here was so friendly. It was definitely not something he was used to. The cities he’d always lived in were full of people who wanted as little to do with everyone else as possible. Sometimes he marvelled over how groups of friends and cliques formed at all at school with how singled minded people could be, including himself. Then again, when someone was being friendly first it was hard for him to be rude in return.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

“Have a good one! Call him!” The cashier called after Stardust as he left the store, already reliving that conversation over in his head.

If Stardust hadn’t known better, he would have almost sworn that Cori had been flirting a little with him, just in the way that he offered to spend time with him and how he paid for the teen’s drink in advance. Of course, that hadn’t been the case. It wasn’t that he thought there would be no one from the LGBTQ community in town, that would be statistically impossible, but he certainly didn’t think there would be anyone so openly willing to flirt. Unless of course they had a different motive behind it. Maybe he was just trying to figure out if Stardust was gay to try and use it against him. That was the one thing he couldn’t be bullied by anymore. He was too proud and had been out of the closet too long to let it really sink in. There was always exceptions but he had friends to help him through

By the time Stardust got back home with his slushie half finished he still had no idea what he was going to do. What harm could it really do to call Cori, to hang out with him at least once? The other teen would figure out pretty quickly how weird and strange Stardust was, the first hang out would likely be the last but at least it would be something to do one day. Cori was right, he really couldn’t hang out inside every single day, Stardust would go stir crazy if he tried to do that.

With that in mind it seemed that his decision was made. Stardust hunted around for a post-it note or even just a scrap of paper, transferring the number from his arm to a surface he wasn’t going to wash clean. Unlike most teens or even just people these days, the teen had an actually little book for phone numbers but of course he’d left it back home. He’d really not thought he would need it for anything here. Hopefully his dad wouldn’t be too annoyed with the addition to his fridge, the number got pinned up with a magnet on the side by the home phone. It was sheer luck his dad even had a home phone at all. A lot of Stardust’s friends in the city had parents who decided the extra line wasn’t worth it. It was probably the sometimes unpredictable cell phone service that he had to thank for it still being here for now.

After a few minutes of debate that did nothing but go around in circles, Stardust picked up the phone, punching Cori’s number in. He nearly hung up when there was a few long rings, before it got to voicemail but the other teen picked up just as the first was preparing to kill the line. He almost did anyway but as surly as he came off it was still hard for him to be rude for no good reason.

“Hey? Stardust?”

The fact that Cori knew it was him almost changed Stardust’s mind and made him hang up right then and there. It was probably thanks to caller ID though. It wasn’t something that his mom had on her phone plan but most people couldn’t go without it. At least, the peach haired teen hoped it was caller ID and not just obvious sheer desperation that clued the other in on his identity.

“Yeah. Sorry, just thought I’d call so you have my number too. Or my dad’s number technically?” It was probably pretty clear from the fact that he was calling off his dad’s line that Stardust didn’t have a phone of his own. It must have been because Cori didn’t ask about it, or give him hell for not just texting his number over like most kids his age did. It was refreshing to not have to explain that no he didn’t actually own a cell phone, or pretend that it just didn’t work out here because he was with a smaller company. Cori just took the information he was given without pushing for more history behind it.

“Cool. Thanks. So, you up for hanging out with me tomorrow maybe? I won’t drag you to the museum, I promise.” Tomorrow was far sooner than Stardust had thought Cori would ask about. It left him flustered, speaking without thinking.

“Sure?”

“Great. I can pick you up, how does two ish sound?” The cheerful teen ignored the wavering uncertainty that had been in Stardust’s reply even though there was no way he'd missed it. It worked in his favour, if he'd questioned it then there would have been a good chance that Stardust would have changed his mind. Instead the only option he was really giving the caller was the chance to change the time.

“Yeah. That works.” There was a tiny moment of panic when he realized the next question was probably going to be about where Stardust actually was. He had no idea what his dad’s address was. He thanked gods he was pretty sure didn’t exist for the luck he managed to have however, when poking around near the fridge turned up a piece of mail with the street address still visible. He recited it to Cori once the teen on the other hand confirmed the ability to take a note, silently hoping his dad didn’t mind that information going out. He would feel terrible about it later if it turned out to be a problem but right now he was just excited to have real plans.

“I’ll see you then. Wear shoes that are good for walking.” With that little warning Cori excused himself, hanging up after a quick goodbye. Good for walking? Stardust really only had the one pair of shoes which, weren’t terrible for walking but weren’t excellent either. He hoped he wasn’t really going to need fancy hiking boots or something, maybe it was just a warning that tomorrow would hold a lot of regular walking. Regular walking he was totally used to.

When his dad came home from work at least he had a story he could share that was a little longer than ‘I watched TV, then I watched YouTube, then I watched TV again’. Stardust wasn’t sure if it was because he’d made a friend or if it was just excitement over the fact that his son had gone out but his dad seemed more pleased about his plans for the next day than he was. He even offered to put together a few snacks for the boys to take with them if he needed. Stardust had no idea if they would but he didn’t want to say no and risk hurting his dad’s feelings, thanking him for his kindness instead. The man just shook his head and went to make dinner, telling Stardust a little about his day. It was the first time he’d offered any real information without his son asking first.

By the time he headed for bed for the night he’d been infected by his dad’s energy, smiling to himself. He was actually looking forward to this now.