Chapter 6

"So, Bullfrog, what's this I hear about you and Hope Nakata?" Shawna slid down into the seat beside him, folding her long legs slowly under herself slowly enough that he actually missed a note. He put the guitar aside before he embarrassed himself.

"We spoke at lunch today, she knows Elspeth and Briana." He nodded at the Elspeth across the table.

"I know, we've met at a few parties here and there." He nodded — there wasn't really an answer to that. "So..."

"So what?"

"So what's happening?"

"With Hope?"

"Yeah."

"Nothing. She's in my IT class, I suppose I'll see her tomorrow."

"She's in my Journalism class, too... I put in a good word for you. Elspeth and Briana had already beaten me to it."

"Sho..."

"Oh, hush. Trust me, she'll lean over, all breathy," she did it herself to demonstrate, "and ask if she can come over and you can help her with something..." He stiffened, feeling his pulse race in his chest as the warm air flitted over his earlobe.

"I doubt it..." he put in, deliberately looking at his watch. "I've got to head out for work — you OK here until Tony gets back?"

"We'll survive." Elspeth assured him with a nod, and he disappeared into his room to get ready.

"Shawna!" Elspeth snapped as the door shut.

"What?"

"Stop flirting with him."

"What? I flirt, I do it with everyone... you never normally say anything."

"Not with him... it's not fair."

"Why? I know how he feels, Elspeth, it's not a big secret. He knows how I feel, I've never hidden anything from him. I know he's holding out for something, but it's not going to happen, and I can't — I won't — pretend to be someone else. It's just not me."

"It just... he's one of the nice guys. Really nice. There aren't many of them, and I don't want to see him getting hurt."

"Neither do I." Shawna admitted, flitting a glance back at the door, feeling ever so slightly guilty.

"Tone it down with him, at least?" Shawna turned back and grinned.

"Oh? You're just jealous I didn't come over there and breathe in your ear..." she giggled.

"You're incorrigible... don't, Briana'll be here in a minute, and I don't want to have to ravage her to get myself under control before the film starts."

"Damn... that means I'll have to wait for Tony and go hetero again!"

"Is it that bad?"

"No, he's nice... sometimes he's better than nice." She admitted, with a leering grin. "But... sometimes I just want something a little... I don't know, softer?"

"Well, I'm firmly on the girl only path."

"One girl only?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Good for you."

"You ready to settle down?"

"I don't know... Tony... it isn't growing, you know."

"Is it going to last?"

"I don't know. Maybe..."

"You don't sound very confident."

"I'm not. We'll see. It'll be fun in the meantime, won't it."

The front door closed, and when no-one appeared they both realised that it must have been Marcus heading out.

"Oh, hell..." Elspeth muttered.

"Do you think he heard much?"

"We'll never get him to tell." Elspeth observed, gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Probably not." The mood didn't pick up until Tony and Briana turned up, pretty much at the same time, and they all headed out.

"You were out with three chicks who look like that, and you didn't have any fun?" one of the three jeered, poking at Tony in what he probably thought was a good-natured way. Tony, by contrast, was forcing the smile so obviously even Marcus could tell as he stepped through the door.

"It wasn't like that, guys." He demurred, trying to put them off.

"Listen, the chick from the student bar is hot, and I hear she goes both ways. I know for a fact that Shawna munches rug sometimes... damn it must be good to be you." One of the others said. Tony's eyes met Marcus' where he stood by the door.

"Look, guys, my flat-mates back, and he's got a test in the morning. Let's call it a night, yeah?"

"Sure, Tony, whatever... but you are going to have to share the good stories some time, you know."

"A gentleman, gentlemen, never talks." He assured them, ushering them a little quicker than was necessary towards the door. By the time he'd gotten them all out, Marcus had the kettle boiled, though he was still clutching at his bag.

"It wasn't like that, Marcus, I promise."

"Like what?"

"It... Shawna and me. It wasn't."

"Wasn't? You mean it isn't still... not like that?"

"Broke it off tonight... nothing harsh, you know. It just... it wasn't going anywhere. She's looking for something, I'm looking for something... we're not it."

"You want a coffee?"

"I want a vodka, but a coffee'll have to do."

"I'm sorry."

"You're not, really." Tony put in, taking the cup as Marcus dropped into the bean-bag. "I know what you mean, you're sympathetic, but sorry... somewhere deep in the back of your head your thinking 'she's free'."

"I don't like to think of myself as that selfish, but... that's true."

"Hey, I'm looking for something, she's looking for something. You've found it... I keep trying to urge you elsewhere. Hell, everyone's trying to fix you up lately... I want what you got, buddy." They fell silent for a moment, thinking on that.

"What's 'rug-munching'?" Marcus finally managed, and Tony sprayed coffee all over the glass. "I don't think that's what they meant when they called it a coffee-table." Marcus managed, with a grin, and Tony managed a laugh as he wiped coffee from his face and went to get a towel.

"You serious?" he finally managed, as he sat down.

"Yeah, I've not heard it before."

"Um... hell, Marcus, were you like a monk or something?"

"I didn't get out much."

"Obviously... rug-munching... finger-merchants..." Marcus shook his head again. "Dikes?"

"Oh!"

"Yeah."

"Shawna?"

"You didn't know?" He just shook his head, trying to come to terms with it. "You knew about Elspeth and Briana, right?" He nodded.

"He didn't know Briana was your sister, did he?"

"I'm guessing not." Tony confirmed. "They aren't bad guys, you know, really. They're a bit drunk tonight — we won, by the way — they're just growing up a bit slower than the rest of us. They're good friends, but I wouldn't let one date my sister."

"Your sister's a rug-muncher." Marcus pointed out. "I don't think that's a problem."

"Um... you know a lot of them probably don't like to be called that, don't you?"

"I didn't... I won't use it."

"It sounds so weird coming from you anyway." Tony shook his head, and settled back. "Briana probably would've given one or two of them a run out, last year." He admitted, after a moment's thought. "I'd've totally freaked, of course — my little sister and a footballer."

"Little sister?"

"Six minutes and least a hundred and forty pounds." Tony confirmed, which drew a smile.

"So... OK, maybe I don't know about Elspeth and Briana after all..." Marcus allowed.

"Look... don't you have parents to teach you any of this shit? Brothers and sisters?"

"Only child. Nick... we... don't talk about that sort of thing."

"Steph?"

"She died before I got to a lot of that sort of thing. Ally's nice, but I don't really know her well enough to talk to her about these sort of things."

"We've known each other about two months... How long has she been around?"

"Four years... we're still sort of feeling each other out, a bit."

"This is some of that stuff that Hope told me about, isn't it?"

"What stuff?"

"She just said not to be surprised at some of the things you should probably know and didn't, and not to assume you were being a smart-ass if something you said didn't fit the situation."

"Hope talks too much." Marcus interjected, his face darkening, and Tony let it drop with a frown.

"So... Briana and Elspeth. Look... Briana likes guys, she likes girls... she doesn't limit her choices, but she doesn't just lay down and take anyone. She's as choosy as the next. In fact, probably more choosy, she's got more of a selection than the rest of us."

"And Elspeth?"

"I don't know — she asked you out, didn't she, so I'm guessing she's the same. She and Briana are getting pretty tight, though, I think they're going to be together for a while."

"I think Elspeth needed a disguise at the start of term, when she asked me." Marcus explained. "She was... it wasn't like with Hope. She wanted an escort more than a date..."