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Andi and Robin become fast friends. Andi picks up a secondhand drum set for a steal on Craigslist and wheedles Renée into paying for lessons, and soon drums merrily away to Robin's guitaring and singing.
Trouble makes dessert for the Swans once or twice a week, demonstrating both the stability of his peculiar motives and his diverse baking abilities. Souffles do not transport well, but all sorts of cakes, pies, muffins, tarts, brownies, and cookies do just fine on the bus trip from an undisclosed location to the Swan household. He misses a lot of school without explanation.
The second Monday of October, Andi (followed shortly by Bella) plops down by Robin at lunch and says, "Hi! How was your weekend?"
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aeskhyne
"So you remember when I showed up at your place with bruises, and you asked what happened, and I said really great sex?"
aeskhyne
"His name's Reggie. He's my stepdad. He didn't use to put me in the hospital three times a year, but something got into him a while ago. Maybe it's just that I'm getting bigger and he's not sure how long he can hang onto me. Anyway, that's why nobody ever comes over to my house or even knows where it is, that's why I don't say shit about my family ever to anyone. Now you know."
aeskhyne
Trouble shrugs. "Until I leave, I guess. But I don't wanna just skip town. I have friends here."
"You could make more. I don't know about Ethan, I guess, but I don't want you getting hurt for my sake. So you can bring me - pie." She makes a helpless gesture.
aeskhyne
Trouble smiles slightly.
"See? You're sweet. Ethan doesn't give a shit. He could probably figure it out if he cared, but he doesn't. Thing is, though, I don't wanna leave you guys. Not because I think you couldn't live without me or whatever. Just 'cause I'd miss you." He shrugs. "That, and if I tried to run away and he caught me, I'm betting it wouldn't be pretty. Some things you don't need to try to know they'd be bad ideas."
"See? You're sweet. Ethan doesn't give a shit. He could probably figure it out if he cared, but he doesn't. Thing is, though, I don't wanna leave you guys. Not because I think you couldn't live without me or whatever. Just 'cause I'd miss you." He shrugs. "That, and if I tried to run away and he caught me, I'm betting it wouldn't be pretty. Some things you don't need to try to know they'd be bad ideas."
"What do you think would happen if you went to the cops, or a teacher or something?"
aeskhyne
"Maybe they'd believe me. Probably they wouldn't. If enough people or the right people did, maybe they could put him in jail, or maybe he could weasel his way out because he's a rich white guy who's respected in the community and I am none of those fucking things. And even if he did go to jail, someday he'd get out."
aeskhyne
"Used to be she'd do the trophy wife thing, but at some point she figured out what Reggie was up to with me and now she pretty much doesn't leave her bedroom anymore."
"And you don't think she'd back you if you told cops or teachers or anything."
aeskhyne
"She might. She might not. But she's not gonna add a whole lot of credibility, because when she met Reggie she was eighteen years old with a two-year-old kid and she believed in aliens. And you bet he's gonna drag that shit out."
aeskhyne
"Aliens. Flying saucers and everything. She used to talk about it a lot when I was little, but Reggie kept telling her how crazy it was and eventually she just stopped."
"I have email, you know? If you skipped town we could still talk."