the park ; saturday evening

[flickofawrist]

An appearance from Gwendolyn was enough to drive Flick to drink. After seeing her last night, that was exactly what Flick had done. And when he'd woken up face down in his pillow, he knew there wasn't going to be any Joi to nurse him back to health. She was gone. He'd left her behind

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[the_dux]

"Well, isn't this image a cliche," Gwendolyn said, wandering up and making herself right at home next to Flick. She even wove her arm through his like she owned him or something.

[flickofawrist]

"You're still here? I'd hoped that the clock had tolled on your time here and that you were called back to the coffin," Flick said, letting her sit close to him since it was futile to try and move.

[the_dux]

Gwendolyn laughed and shook her head like he was just the funniest guy in town!

"Why did you run away, Flick?" she asked him, keeping her eyes straight ahead. "Couldn't handle the pressure?"

[flickofawrist]

"Why? You miss me?" Flick asked, voice hollow. "What does every guy run away for, Gwendolyn? Seeing you with other people just made me so sad. I had to leave to preserve my sanity."

Ha ha.

[the_dux]

Gwendolyn sniffed haughtily and shook her head. "It made Mandel very unhappy. I've never seen him quite that angry. He took it out on so many people."

[flickofawrist]

Flick swallowed and kept himself on lockdown. He didn't know if she was lying or not but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"Aww, and was it not as good since I wasn't there to watch? I know how he loves to let people watch," he said, glancing over at her. "Guess you don't measure up."

[the_dux]

"Excuse you, I'm the one who's here right now," she said primly. "If I didn't measure up, do you think he'd let me off school grounds for this long?"

[flickofawrist]

"Maybe he wanted you gone so he could groom a new dux," Flick suggested easily. "You are old news, Gwendolyn."

[the_dux]

That hit a nerve with Gwendolyn. Her expression darkened and she looked scary for a moment. She'd obviously considered that option a few times.

But, her smile reappeared quickly.

"And who do you think will be the dux when I go back with all kinds of information on you? About your friends, people you care about and I give that to Mandel? You know what he can do..."

She trailed off and looked positively delighted.

[flickofawrist]

And that was a way to make Flick's expression grow steely and cold.

"Who says I care about anyone here?" he asked, shaking his head. "You met anyone here with glowing things to say about me? You seen me with anyone?"

Okay, so he'd been with a few people in the past few days and there were some people that he didn't mind but still.

"Mandel can try. He'd lose."

[the_dux]

"Even if that's true and no one's wormed their way into your socipathic heart, Mandel wouldn't care," she pointed out, giving his arm a squeeze. "You know that."

[flickofawrist]

She wasn't wrong. Flick grew quiet, eyes staring straight ahead and breath coming out slightly quicker than before.

"If he showed up here, I'd just let him kill me," he decided. There was no hesitation. "But as soon as he killed me, half the people on this island would kill him. And then you'd be all alone. No daddy for you to crush on."

[the_dux]

Gwendolyn's laughter was anything but happy. It was a mask for her insane ways and he knew it. She patted his arm like she was comforting him.

"You think anyone would care if you were dead, Flick?" she asked. "Isn't everyone who actually loved you gone? And wasn't that at the hands of someone who was supposed to love you?"

[flickofawrist]

"My dad also drank a lot and beat the shit out of me on a regular basis," Flick said, rolling his eyes. "I think it's safe to say that he never loved me. People might not care but they'd noticed."

At least, he hoped they would. He breathed.

[the_dux]

"Oh, how important," Gwendolyn said, sounding mocking. "To be noticed. Congratulations to you, Flick. You're noticeable!"

[flickofawrist]

"And you're desperate," Flick retorted immediately. "What's Mandel gonna do when you go back there and have nothing on me? No one here knows a goddamn thing."