Chapter 2: Chapter 2
“Aw, shucks, Lizzie,” Colin cooed. “S’not my fault people never take that expression seriously.”
“And what expression would that be?” Shaun asked.
“Y’know, that one about the quiet ones?”
“Ha!” Shaun exclaimed and slammed a hand down on the table. “We were roommates for two years, man. Hate to burst your bubble, but there’s nothingquiet about you.”
“Oh, fuck you.”
“You kiss your mama with that mouth?”
Colin jabbed Shaun in the arm. A mistake, as usual, though Colin would never admit that. Shaun liked to claim he was made of pure muscle and it did, in fact, hurt Colin’s knuckles enough to pull back with a hiss. Chuckling, Shaun first flexed and then retaliated by grabbing the brim of Colin’s knitted beanie cap and yanking it off his head.
“Hey! No!” Colin whined. “Shaun! Not the hat!”
Shaun held it far away from him, all the way behind his own back. A playful, slightly gap-toothed grin lit up his face.
“What do ya say?”
Holding his laced fingers under his chin, Colin pushed out his bottom lip.
“Please, Shauny? Gimme my hat back?”
“Ah, damn, you’re too much, kid.” He flung the hat back to him. “You’re right, Liz. It is those eyes. Good luck to whoever gets stuck with him.”
“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Colin responded as he carefully reapplied the cap over his head, covering messy locks of golden-brown hair. “I’m a fucking angel.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Liz laughed. “We know. I mean really, Colin.” Her face suddenly got quite serious. “Anyone would be lucky as gold to get you.”
“Thanks, Liz!” He stuck his tongue out at Shaun, who rolled his eyes and gave him a very pointed, one-fingered gesture. “See? At least someoneknows how awesome I am.”
“Hey, no foolin’, man. I know how awesome you are. Doesn’t mean I could put up with you. But here’s the secret: it’s just cause I couldn’t resist that little face of yours.”
A blush filled Colin’s cheeks. “Aw, you guys are too dang much tonight.” He shook his head. “You know, I don’t really know what I’m looking for right now. Between school and trying to make some money and taking care of Ma…I can’t handle anything serious. Some freaking sex would be nice, though. Dry spell and all.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “What’s dry spell for you?”
“Uh, three…weeks?”
“For fuck’s sakes, Colin!” Shaun laughed.
Shaun opened his mouth again but closed it before anything came out. Eyes going wide and lips stretching into a smile, he pointed toward the stage where the band was now setting up. Three people—two young women and a young man.
The girl setting up her drums had her dark hair in a pixie cut, a streak of blue cutting through the front right side. She wiped something off her brow with the back of her arm—both of them lean and well-toned—then continued working. She fiddled with her tongue, playing with the metal piercing as she fixed her seat to where she wanted it. Once finished, she sat and cracked her knuckles, picking up a set of drumsticks like she meant to practice. Before she could do anything, her eyes lit up and a dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks.
Next to him, Colin could see Shaun’s hand rise in greeting.
“That’s her,” he leaned over and said. “That’s the girl, I mean. From my class.”
Colin looked at Shaun watching the drummer as she practiced. A silly little smile twitched on his friend’s lips, a telltale sign that Colin would know anywhere, and he just couldn’t resist.
“Well shit.” Colin chuckled. “You have a crush on her, don’t you?”
“What?” Shaun looked at him as though slapped on the back of the head. “A crush? What’re we? Twelve?”
Colin, chin in his palm, smirked. “You do, don’t you?”
“No, I…” His mouth flapped once. Twice. “I mean, I…” Shaun sighed with a shake of his head. “Why you gotta notice everything?”
Liz laughed as Colin wiggled his eyebrows and laced his fingers behind his head, haughty and arrogant.
“Isn’t it superfun having Colin around?” Liz asked. “Glad you asked him out, huh?”
“Eh.” Shaun reached over to pinch Colin’s cheek. “I guess I missed having the little smartass around.”
Colin gave them both a big, cheesy grin, shimmying in his seat a bit. He missed this. Missed going out with them on the weekends and during vacations and random days during the week. Drinks and parties, bars and dancing. It’d been so long.
Okay, two months wasn’t all that long, but when those two months were nothing but work, work, work, it felt more like years. Colin would’ve said more, but someone in front of the stage caught his attention.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone