Behind the Shelter in the Middle of the Roundabout...

[oh_muh_darlin]

The fact that her roommate's birthday was approaching hadn't gone unnoticed. In fact, Clementine kept a pretty close watch on the birthdays of the people she knew. The birthdays that she'd had on the island herself had all turned out pretty shitty so far, passed by without so much as a mention, and for once, when someone she knew turned another

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[one__song]

Doris, that was the damn thing's name.

As Roger strolled along the beach, thinking about the truth and all the things he did while telling the truth and how Prior would likely never again hear the truth, and how Brian was the truth and blah, blah, blah. It carried him far. So far, in fact, that he stopped in front of a bus and took a break in his meandering through processes to remember the name of the bus that housed Stillwater at some point, and probably still had a discernible amount of Stillwater DNA crusted into the cushions. Oh, tour buses. They were like nomadic college dorm rooms. Or so Roger imagined

[oh_muh_darlin]

Clementine had run to the back of the bus to grab Penny's present, which she'd stashed underneath her bed on the bus. For such small living quarters, Clementine had gotten pretty fucking good at hiding things, and at least she thought that Penny hadn't caught a glimpse of it.

That'd be the way to ruin the goddamn surprise.

And what was the point of a surprise party if it'd ended up fucking ruined?

When she emerged again, she paused, noticing a face that she didn't expect to see amongst the crowd.

[one__song]

Oh, crap, there she was. Somehow, in going to talk to Clem, Roger had managed to forget that he had to talk to Clem. It was a big fucking deal because it would most likely end in getting things thrown at his face and he liked his face.

After taking a brief moment to glance down and collect himself, he looked up again, feigning confidence in his shoulders, but lacking the commitment to it in his face. Stupid pretty face.

"Hey," he said, approaching her. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

[oh_muh_darlin]

Clementine stared at him for a moment, eyes narrow. "Look, I think a second just went by." She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

"And I'm pretty sure bus crashing is a punishable island offense."

It totally wasn't, but Clementine was starting to think that it should have been.

[one__song]

At that, Roger screwed up his face. "Who exactly is going to punish me? The Party Foul Police?" Roger snapped, but he closed his eyes over it and was apologetic, again. "Look, I'm... can we just go outside, please?" He thumbed at the doorway, a move that seemed so stupid as soon as it had been executed. Truth was, he hadn't been so nervous in a long time. Covering up an affair, that was easy. Trying to appeal to Clem? That was some hard fucking work.

[oh_muh_darlin]

Clementine was actually pretty fucking sure that the island police would have something to say about going into people's homes uninvited, but she couldn't be bothered to stress teh point at the moment.

Rolling her eyes again, she sighed.

"What the fuck do you want, Roger?"

[one__song]

No preparation was adequate. Not even a bullet-proof vest would do the trick. She was going to come out swinging, and Roger was going to try and let it happen; the hapless victim with blocks instead of punches and pursed lips instead of insults, that was the role he was going to have to play. Yup, like a stone. He'd be a stone.

And Clem would likely pick him up and find a way to hurl him at himself.

"I want you to come outside so we can talk without bothering your friend's party," Roger said, too calm to be real.

[oh_muh_darlin]

"You've already bothered it," Clementine snapped back, and for a second, God did she wish she was drunk. This whole thing where there wasn't always plentiful alcohol on the island was a fucking buzzkill.

Literally.

Maybe it was the fact that Roger had suggested it, but Clementine had no intention of setting foot off of the bus right then.

"So what is this? Some out of the blue half-hearted apology for being a jackass? Or some random half-hearted apology in the hopes of begging for some to be determined favor?"

[one__song]

Jesus Christ, she was fucking caustic. Had she always been that much of a buzzkill? Could an alcoholic be a buzzkill? He was pretty sure Clem was both, so there you have it.

"What the fuck favor could I possibly be asking you?" Roger countered, his face contorting into a sort of 'don't be stupid' mask, which he wiped clean. "Listen, I'm happy to go about this right here, but I'd prefer it if we didn't." He wasn't sure how long the diplomacy was going to last, not when Clem knew so well just how to instigate.

[oh_muh_darlin]

"Go about what right here, Roger?" She asked, exasperated. "If you want to talk, go ahead and talk."

It'd been fucking months since he'd even said two words to her, and all of a sudden, she was supposed to act like nothing had happened?

[one__song]

"OK, then, I miss you," he said suddenly, arms extending out in an exasperated half-shrug before they settled noisily at his side. "The things I said to you were unfair and not entirely true and I wanted you out of my way because looking at you reminded me that I'd abandoned you for greener... pastures or whatever. I didn't do it on purpose, but I did it and I'm.... I'm sorry." There. And it didn't even taste like stomach bile like Roger had expected it to.

[oh_muh_darlin]

Clementine just stared at him for a long moment. She'd started shaking, but right then, there was no way she could have noticed.

"Fuck you." She finally said.

[one__song]

That, however, didn't feel so cathartic. It felt a lot like a punch to the chest, actually, or like the sting of too many cigarettes on a night too many degrees below zero. It's not like he wasn't expecting a reaction much like that one, but it still smarted.

"Alright," Roger said simply. "Enjoy the party." He'd said what he wanted to, she'd reacted a way that was fairly Clem-status quo, and he was off. No one had done anything to subvert expectation, especially not Roger as he headed for the door.