"If you are on fire my love? Then let me immolate with you in the inferno, so our ashes can be spread on the winds together." ~ Sati

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Thursday - September 10th

Next day I am early again for school, but this time on purpose. Rolling down the halls of hell on my skateboard towards homeroom, I am getting a few more strange stares than the usual. Maybe it's just me, but the rest of the flocks are looking at me funny today like: "Hey you're not supposed to ride a skateboard down the halls. But sure does looks like fun."  

By the seventh strange stare from some Falcon flocker, it's becoming increasingly clear to me that word has spread around the ol Falconry, that I backed down from The Butcher at Da Frost. I can see it in all the faces of all kids I don't know. 

"Like why are you still alive flocker? Yeah...you must have begged The Butcher for your life like a bitch at Da Frost, huh?"

Now the question is, do I really care about this? Honestly, I don't know yet, if I do or don't? I know for sure that I don't give two flying craps what any these flocking Falcons think of me. So no major pride issues there, but maybe respect? Yeah, that could definitely be a problem going forward.

I really don't give a flying flock at all if "The Butcher" is BMOC and I am a new nothing. Just so long as he respects me, I will respect him back ...to a degree. But if some flocker other than Butchy thinks I'm weak? Maybe they push up on me when I am with May? Yeah, I'm thinking that could turn out to be a major flocking problem for all parties concerned.  

But then again, I did show up to meet The Butcher at Da Frost? And according to local lore, and my kite flying buddy Guys Mike, everybody else with an I.Q. runs? So I suppose at least I have that going for me? Who knows, maybe that's what all the odd looks are about, the whole "The Boy That Lived"  thing in full effect. Which makes more sense to me, cause Butchy is a big angry dude, and I think a little "special", and not in the good way.  

At this point, the most important thing to me is that I got May a pass, on any future bullshit with the Butcher Boys, or anyone else. So I am thinking that will also get around too. Because I'm thinking due to Butchy's rep alone, all the other flockers will think twice about trying their luck, not to mention his clear hatred for Creepy Ferret.

Which brings up and interesting point, why is Creep still counted among the living if Butchy hates his ass so damn much?  Because based what I now know about The Butcher of San Fall, that makes zero sense to me. But for now, I chalk this up to just one of the many local mysteries of yesterday's almost thing at Da Frost.

After a sleepless night of reflecting on everything, and the whole sequence of events that led up to the meet and beats at Da Frost? It's occurred to me that Buster was the quintessential "I got no dog in this fight" acquaintance in this whole thing from the beginning. In retrospect, Buster did back off immediately when I came rolling down the steps that day at the Annex bleachers looking for trouble. And as far as I know he never actually did say anything wrong to Maybe? But he also didn't stop anything wrong from being said either.

Plus at any point during our parlay, Buster could have just stopped talking and just started swinging on me, when he saw that whole thing go sideways. Of course, he probably would have had his new smile sliced open by yours truly. Then The Butcher would have definitely stepped in at that point to dance with the devil. But Buster did seem most eager to "peace things out".  Almost uncaring when Slater got slapped around, for no other reason than Butcher must have felt that someone needed to get hit in order to entertain the masses. So barring any further complications, Buster is off my "some shit to settle list", and on to my "Keep an eye on"  list, at least for the current.

Mouthy however is whole another story. I'm not so sure I am willing to take him off my shitlist just yet. So he's still on my Shitlist team roster, but just not as a starting player. So he goes onto injured reserve roster until further notice. But the last of the Three Amigos ...Creepy Ferret? Now that is a problem for me going forward. Because according to the "Peace Out" accords I have with the Brothers Barnes, I have a dental appointment scheduled for Ferrets face in the very near future. Something that May and I didn't quite get around to talking about during yesterdays after action critique of my performance. But something I should probably mention in passing ...maybe after the fact?   

So first and foremost on my to-do list today, I need to deal with the most immediate problem of May's many issues ...and the real reason I am at school at this ungodly early time. Because after the after-action interaction I had with May during dinner talking time last, I've come to the conclusion that I might have been almost mistaken about a couple of things. First and foremost, the potential political fall out onto May. Especially after I present to her a necklace made out of Creep teeth to wear on special occasions. And in light of all the fun we had in the aftermath of the yesterday's meet and greet for beats at the Frost, I've decided that going after Creep publicly might be a major mistake on my part. And something that I should definitely handle on my own time, in a place of my own choosing. Preferably in the dark with no witnesses, and in strict accordance to the first precept of piracy ...dead men tell no tales.

So I hang out in the hallway outside of homeroom and ignore the fact that Or'sir is glaring at me greedily again from behind his desk. I can feel the vile little creature just daring me to come into the empty class. Like everyone else, he probably just wants to know how I escaped a fate worse than death at the hands of the Butcher of San Fall. 

But if I was Or'sir I'd be a lot more worried about myself. Because Butchy might not like me all that much at the moment, but he defiantly hates Or'sir. Now that's a beat down I wouldn't mind paying money to watch down at the ol' Frost. Because based on what I've seen from The Butcher so far, I think he might actually rip the evil garden gnome apart and eat him. Which is a very nice thought to waste the next ten minutes contemplating on until May shows up.

The next oddity of the morning occurs when I spot Butchy's translator at large. The dark leatherhead I now know as Boomer Hayden, rolls down the hall and towards the back door of C-22. When he spots me sitting against the lockers and throws me a chin check in the local custom, before baring his fangs at me. I immediately flash my fangs and chin check him back. But only because it seems like the polite thing to do under the circumstances.  

"Showed up to Da Frost flocking early, huh? You either completely batshit crazy, or you got some seriously big ass balls surfer dude." Boomer shakes his head and saunters into class before I can correct him on his completely insane assumption. That I am actually only half Insanistani on my mother's side of the bad blood.   

It isn't quite two minutes more, before I see May turn the corner down the central hallway, and come tapping dancing down the hallway all alone. May is decked out in her usually dark and bulky finest, and sporting a black Bad Hair Day baseball hat. I note that she is rocking the bigger wrap around Sith shades. I have to wonder if she picks her shades out to fit her moods? And if so, is that is any indication of what I am in store for, after our agree-to-disagree conversation from last night's taking time?

"Hey Maybe, I'm over here next to the wall lockers." I force an extra degree of smile into my voice for her to hear.

"Darren?" May pauses mid-swing, with her Shaolin weapon hanging in my air.

"Yep, it's me," I reassure her of my friendly. "About ten small steps diagonally to your left, sitting on the floor against the wall."

"You're on the floor?" May frowns down. "Why are you on the floor? Are you hurt?"

"No May, I am fine. I was just sitting here waiting for you." I bite the bullet. "So how are you doing this morning?"

"Little bit better than yesterday ...I think?" She flicks a frown down at me from behind her Vader Sith shades.

"That's a good thing then?" I wait for her to make the next move.  

May slides up next to me on the wall, the slowly sinks down the lockers to the cool tile with a sad sigh. The strong scent of lavender washes over me like the rain. Since hanging out with May, I have started to take a lot more notice of certain scents and smells, that I had always taken for granted. In particular, May seems to favor lavender scented soap in the morning.

"So are we ...you and me, okay after yesterday?" I can see that she is pensively gripping her nunchucks a little tighter than normal.

"Maybe, I'm okay if you're okay?" I slouch slightly closer next to her on the floor.

"So can I say something to you, without starting another thing?" She sighs.

"Of course." I came prepared for another round of "What the hell were you thinking?" talking time. 

"After we ended things last night, I thought about what we talked about ...for a while." She starts slowly, and it would seem like I'm not the only that lost sleep to their dark thoughts last night.

"I wanted to tell you that I was sorry about getting all into your face last night on the phone. It's just when I heard that you went to the Frost to fight Butchy? And then when you didn't answer your cell and I couldn't reach you at home the first time? I got really worried, so by the time I did get a hold of you? I think I might have slightly overreacted ...maybe just a teensy-tinsey little bit?" She winces and holds her pinchy fingers up to show me her measure of the little bit of maybe.

I know I can instantly agree with her, and drive the point home with a vengeance and win this almost argument once and for all. But I decided in the middle of my sleepless night, that this thing with May is not about winning or losing anymore. But more about understanding the other person's perspective, in order to aviod the next mistake to make.

And if yesterday's talking time trip through the darkside of life with Maybe taught me anything? It's that I don't know the first thing about how this strange girl thinks. So I opt out of the winning the war as the better part of valor and try for something slightly more insightful.

"Forget it May, I guess we all react differently to stressful situations. Honestly, I think it was cool of you, that you cared enough to call and check on me at all." I shrug lightly into her shoulder so that she can feel the gesture. Of course, I elect not tell her that I handle things by shaking like a little kid, who just got the piss beat out of him.

"Yeah, but instead of thanking you for sticking up for me? I was giving you a bunch bitching just because. And if I am being honest, which apparently I am doing now?" May heaves a long forlorn sigh. "I don't really know how to deal with people very well."

"I never seem to say the right things at the right time, like thank you? Or that was cool of you to do for me. Probably because I've never really had anyone stick up for me like that ...twice. And with The Butcher of all people?" She snorts and shakes her head. "Omygawd what the hell were you thinking?"  

I really have to resist the urge to point out yet again, that I really don't do that thinking thing that she seems to think so highly of? Thus restarting that particular circular argument all over again, for yet another round of talking time.

When she finally shakes off the logic loop. "Okay, so maybe I owe you an apology for something? So what exactly does someone apologize for in this situation? And please do not say what situation?"

"No worries, we're cool Maybe." I reassure her. "Just do us both a favor and from now on try not get too involved with any more dumb guy stuff, okay? It's seriously not a good look on you. And I don't know if anyone ever told you this before, but girl stuff is such a much better color on you. So maybe next time, just take the Creep teeth necklace in the mean-spirited way it was meant to be taken."

I watch as she goes stone still, then quirks with a smirk. A small smile begins to spread accompanied by a small snort, then she starts to giggle infectiously. By Nyx do I like this girls giggle, it's so unbelievably pure and melodic. So with that, I finally let go the breath that I didn't even realize I was holding and relax ever so slightly. Because a giggling girl is good ...even if it is at me and my stupidity.

"Girl color? Really? Damn dude, there is something seriously wrong with you." But she is smiling and shaking her head. 

"That does seem to be the prevailing consensus among the voices in my head," I reply slowly as that old familiar chill attaches itself from my spine. 

Yeah Maybe, there is something very wrong with me? This is what it looks like when you lose your soul to the Devil on the inside. But sorry to say May, thankfully I'll be long gone from this Hell before you ever figure that out. 

"So the voices in your head don't like you either, huh?" May smirks wickedly. 

"Not even a little," I tell the true truth, because apparently we do that now.

"Okay bro, so good to know. So was that our first fight, huh?" She mugs appreciating the moment. "I have to admit that I am slightly underwhelmed. I thought a first fight would be ...I don't know ...more?"

"May, that wasn't a fight." I quip back quick. "That was fair, and I don't fight fair. It's a thing." 

"Okay, also good to know." She looks up hopefully. "So still friends?"

"At least until Christmas." I nudge her slightly again to let her know its all good. "Oh, and FYI? I never stopped being your friend May. But there's something else that you might want to consider in the future."

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" I feel her tense in anticipation of my victory dance.

"That you're not alone May." I see the puzzlement on her face.

"What I mean is that nobody else knows how to deal with people either. Or what's the right thing to say is all the time? Or how other people will hear some of the things that sounded good in our head said out loud. It's pretty much all hit and miss." I try to reassure her of something that I am not quite sure of myself.

"I think the hardest part is recognizing when you miss, and trying to figure out how to be better the next time?" I muse through the thinking process of problem solving. "For me, that will be to warn you ahead of time what's coming, when I decide to dance with the Devil. So at least that way you don't have to hear shit from Someone's Sister after the game is over."

"Nice, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate a good sports metaphor." May snorts. "Lucky for you I have dummy math with Coach O'Something and most of my class are sports players. So I actually know all kinds of completely useless sports segue stuff.  Yay ...sports stuff."  She deadpans, as the early warning bell rings and ends our bantering.

"Yay time for more Announcements of Import." I counter, deadpaning right back.

Pushing up the wall to my feet, I reach down and lightly take May's free hand in mine. Then gently pull her up to her upright position to get her set striaght to face the day.  

"Com'on dummy, follow me." She smirks and pulls my arm towards the homeroom from Hell.

"Oh, I get it now. The blazing blind leading the flocking dumb, huh?" I drone dumbly for her amusement.

"Better than girl color, brah." She snorts and pulls me along in her wake towards the Important Announcements.   

Maybe it's just my imagination, but she seems highly pleased with herself for some reason? I am starting to have the sinking feeling that she just won our first unfair fight, while I wasn't looking. Damn girl color distracted me again from something smart I was going to say.  

Oh well ...just another banner day in Hell for the Devil.