Unravelling Zeke -Spring Break (1/2)
Banner by aliensouldream
Title: Spring Break
Author: Gabi
Fandom: The Faculty
Pairing: Z/C
Rating: R (talk of sex, inc jailbait)
Summary: A trip out of town may be just what Zeke needs. The encounter isn't.
Disclaimer: I own neither the rights nor the characters. If I did, Mr Tyler would be sporting a lovely new collar. I make no money. I have no money. Don’t sue me.
Note: beta’d by Aliensouldream. Many thanks and a plucked feather. xx
Previous
Epiphany/ Party & Boring/ Plans/ Casa Del Tyler/ The Suit/ Mom/ Hate You/ Meet the Connors/ New York - Friday/ New York - Saturday/ New York - Sunday/ Texting/ The Deal/ Complex/ Snow/ Pictures of You/ A Connor Christmas/ Missed This/ Photogenic/ New Years Eve/ Trust/ Saint Valentine
NOTE: This takes place four weeks after Saint Valentine
Part 1 leads to 2.
How Casey had survived the last few weeks without tearing his hair out, he’d never know. How he’d survived the last few weeks without punching Zeke’s lights out, he’d never know. How Zeke had survived the last few weeks without someone else punching his lights out, he’d never know.
Well ok, he had an idea about that last part. No one could punch Zeke if they wouldn’t go near him. No one got in his way these days. No one dared.
It hadn’t been a noticeable overnight change, but the students had become increasingly wary of Zeke. It had bewildered Casey at first. He couldn’t see any reasonable explanation for it. Zeke was… well, Zeke. Cool as ice and annoying as Hell.
At home he remained the soul that Casey had fallen in love with. At school he remained above the herd. But the herd were nervous. Few students would look him in the eye now, most avoiding eye contact, tracking his movements with peripheral vision from minimum safe distance as he passed.
It amused the shit out of Casey.
For a while, at least. There had been a time, about a week before Valentine’s that Zeke had shown Casey a glimpse of what everyone else saw that he’d somehow magically missed. Casey had made a flippant remark and Zeke’s focus snapped on him with a look so sharp, so laced with rage, that Casey immediately felt compelled to apologise without understanding exactly what it was he was apologising for. The silent aggression evaporated and Zeke pulled him into an affectionate embrace with an apology of his own. Casey accepted it but he couldn’t forget that look.
He began to study Zeke’s behaviour with the other students. There was nothing much to see. His mask remained outwardly calm, relaxed and collected. He still joked with his small circle of friends and largely ignored everyone else. But it was there. Even if he couldn’t see it. He was beginning to feel it. Everyone could feel it.
Right beneath the surface. Like a pot about to boil. The surface shifts almost imperceptibly, but beneath rages a torrent of violently rattling atoms. Latent heat. Ready to burst and scald anyone stupid enough to stray too close. He bristled with it.
Casey had initially put it down to the whole issue with his mom but that had been over two months ago now and his slight mood should have improved. It was deteriorating. He was one irritable, impatient bastard at times. He’d tried, several times to ask him what was wrong. Zeke always, infuriatingly, insisted he was fine and immediately changed the subject. Casey had to admit he was clueless.
If you were outside his social circle you stayed the fuck away. He asserted his authority with a look, that look. Or a cutting word. If his gaze fell upon you, you withered. It was not an option. If he spoke to you, you took it and backed away. If you retaliated… well… you just fucking didn’t. You didn’t even know why, he was yet to get violent. You just knew it would be a super dumb thing to risk.
There was something wrong with Zeke.
~*~
Casey had counted down the days, then hours, then minutes to Spring Break. Desperate to get Zeke out of school in the hope he’d chill the fuck out for a week. He’d use the week to discover the root of whatever issue Zeke was spewing out all over the school. Even if Zeke stayed elusive he’d use the freedom as a well earned break from the tension. Zeke was always happier when he was alone with Casey. If only a fraction more patient, of late.
That final bell had ignited a whooping frenzy of students rushing to escape the misery of school for one glorious week. Reluctant to fight the crowd, Casey had sat behind for a few moments, taking his time packing his bag. Zeke would be waiting for him at the car and then they’d be free.
And there he was. Lighting a smoke behind the wheel and inhaling away the stress. The GTO shimmered in the brief patch of sunshine, light sparkling off the raindrops that encrusted the black car like diamonds. The recent rain had melted the last dregs of snow that clung to the ground, marking the final release of winter’s icy grip.
Zeke turned with a lazy smile as Casey slid into shotgun. “Ready for a road trip?”
“Get me the fuck outta here!”
As the engine fired, Casey hit play and amused himself at how many students still turned. He’d come to the conclusion it was a natural survival instinct. Hone in on danger or be ran the fuck over. Zeke hadn’t hit anyone, or thing yet, but his driving on school property remained as maniacal as ever.
He floored the pedal and she swerved out of the wet parking lot with a roaring growl and a thumping drum beat. The speedometer hovered a millimetre below the limit all the way to the highway. As soon as they passed Herrington’s border a dark cloud seemed to lift and Zeke notably relaxed.
“So how long are we going for?” Casey asked.
“However long you want, Angel.”
“So long as I get my assignments done, I don’t care. Oh… We have to be in Columbus next Friday.”
“Yeah…” he grumbled, “I remember.”
“You don’t have to hang around. Just drop me off and pick me up.”
“What the fuck am I gonna do in Columbus all afternoon?” Zeke asked, “Besides… I wanna keep an eye on this… Danny you’re so pally with.”
Casey chuckled. “Zeke… seriously… Not a threat. He’s overweight and middle aged. He can’t compete with you, baby.”
“It’s not you I don’t trust.” He glanced over with concern. “Seriously.”
“I don’t need protecting.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. “You better play nice.” he warned, “You owe him too, you know.”
Zeke smirked at the approaching horizon. “You’re a fucking genius, Casey.”
Yes he was. He was indeed. He’d met Danny online in a local arts chatroom in late November. Danny designed costumes for a theatre company in Columbus. Danny was openly gay and Casey had eventually admitted that he too had a boyfriend and their friendship blossomed from there. He’d given Casey a few tasty tips along the way.
He’d whined about budgets and deadlines and the tediousness of sewing sequins and the trials of making angel wings for a play he was then responsible for. He was working on chorus girl costumes for a new musical when Casey had been inspired by his introduction to handcuffs back in January.
Danny wanted professional portraits of all his girls in costume for both his portfolio and to advertise the show before it went live in May. Casey wanted a night with those wings. He’d borrowed his dad’s car in early February and met Danny after school in the mall where he knew he’d visible and safe. He'd grinned all the way back to Herrington with a huge wrapped package in the back seat.
The photos would be done for free during a dress rehearsal in Spring Break and Casey got to keep the wings until then. The boys had made damn sure he’d got his fee’s worth of fun with them.
Genius.
Zeke jumped when his phone rang in his pocket and he leant back to carefully fish it out. He reached over to turn the music down and groaned when he saw the caller ID. “Hey man, I’m driving. I’ll call you back.” He handed the phone to Casey. “He’ll call back. Tell him I said no.”
“Um… ok.” Before he could clarify the situation the phone rang again. The caller ID read ‘Prick’. He answered tentatively. “Hello?”
“Don’t hang… Who’s this?”
“Casey. Who’s this?”
“Ohh…” The tone switched to a more flirtatious one. “Hello Casey.”
Casey wasn’t entirely sure what the fuck was going on. “He said no.”
“No to what?”
“I have no idea.” he answered honestly.
“Put him on.”
“He’s driving.”
“Tell him to pull over.”
“On the highway.” Casey added.
“Well that won’t do… Oh well… if Baby Zee won’t talk to me, you’ll have to do.”
Casey giggled and turned to Zeke. “Baby Zee?”
Zeke grinned through gritted teeth and scowled as he blushed. “FUCK YOU, MAN!”
There was a belly laugh on the other end of the phone. “Such a sensitive soul. So Casey… Tell me… Exactly how close are you to Zeke?”
Casey went the strangled route. “About a foot away.” he deadpanned.
There was a slight pause. “You know what I mean.”
“Yep.”
There was another pause. “Ask him if we’re green.”
“What?”
“Ask him.”
Casey looked over confused. “He asked if we’re green?”
Zeke’s amusement died a sudden death. “Fuck off. Red.”
“He said…”
“I heard him. Amber?”
“What about her?”
“No. Are we amber? Wait… he told you about Amber?”
“The basics. Just out of curiosity… Who am I speaking to?”
“He tell you about Sammi?”
Casey quelled his rising reaction. Play it cool. “Ohh…” he drawled, “So you’re Sammi.”
Zeke cast an uneasy sideways glance but returned his concentration to the road.
“So he did tell you about me.”
“In passing.” he replied flatly. Zeke smirked at the car in front.
“That’s more than in passing, baby. We have history.”
“Maybe he didn’t think you merited that long a paragraph.” he quipped.
Zeke burst out laughing.
“Oh, I like you… Don’t be jealous, baby. History is all we have. He off the highway yet?”
Casey wasn’t entirely reassured by Sammi’s back track. Especially when it sounded so condescending. “No.”
“Where the fuck you going? Cali-fuckin-fornia?”
“Canton.”
“What the fuck’s in Canton? It’s a dump!”
“Lock Stock.”
“What? Oh, at the flicks?”
“Yeah.”
“And you have to drive to Canton? Is Herrington that shitty?”
“Yeah, it really is.”
“Fun. Talking of fun. You coming to the party tomorrow?”
What party? Zeke hadn’t mentioned one… He kept his tone flat. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“He hasn’t invited you?” he asked with thickly laced sarcasm. “Tsk… Tell him I said you could come.”
“I’m fine.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. Just ask him if he’s coming to the fucking party.”
Casey turned to Zeke again, trying to keep his tone level. “He said… Are you coming to the fucking party?”
Zeke kept his eyes on the road. “And I said Tell him I said no.”
“That would be a no.” he relayed to Sammi, with a tiny hint of triumph.
“Why not?”
Casey sighed. “He asked why not?”
“Cos he’s a cunt.” Zeke spat back.
“Cos you’re a cunt.” he parroted.
“That’s nice. Put him on.”
“No.”
“I’ll be good.”
“He’s driving.”
“I’ll make it quick.”
“For fuck…. He wants to talk to you.”
“No.”
This was getting tedious. “He said no. I’m sure he’ll call you back when it’s convenient.”
“Put him… on… the fucking… phone.”
“Here!” He thrust the phone to Zeke.
Zeke snatched it and held it to his ear. “I’m fucking driving, Sammi. Make it rapid!”
“Cos you’re a cunt! You can fuck right off!”
“Red.”
“RED!”
“First time for everything.”
“I doubt that.”
“Sammi… SAMMI!”
He threw his head back and growled at the roof. He thrust the phone at Casey. “If that prick calls back tell him he can go fuck himself.”
“Not a problem. Full of himself, huh?”
“Full of something.” Zeke sighed.
“So what’s with the traffic lights?”
Zeke winced and glanced over. “It’s code. Green we share, red we don’t.”
Casey raised his eyebrows in suspicion. “Share what?”
He shrugged. “We shared everything. Booze, drugs, …beds …dates.”
“You swapped dates?” he asked incredulously.
Zeke glanced over. “No.” He stared at the road. “Shared.”
“Holy shit.” Three in the bed? He’d definitely underestimated how ‘off the rails’ Zeke had been back in the day.
“Past tense, Casey.”
“I know.” he nodded, still digesting the information. “But not that it matters, right? I’m never gonna meet him.”
“Yeah… except you just told him where we were going.”
“Oh, he isn’t…” The phone rang right on cue. Casey lifted it and spat into it. “Go fuck yourself!”
There was a long pause. Then a very annoyed voice. “And who the fuck are you?”
It was a different voice. “Oh, fuck! I’m sorry! I thought it was somebody else!”
Zeke laughed.
The voice’s mood hadn’t improved at the apology. “I should fucking hope so! Let’s try this again shall we? I’m gonna call back and you’re gonna give Zeke the phone.”
“He’s-” A click cut him off. He turned to Zeke. “That wasn’t Sammi.”
Zeke was still chuckling. “I figured. Who was it?”
“No idea.” The phone rang again. Casey answered it. “I’m afraid Zeke can’t come to the phone right now, he’s driving on the highway. Would you like me to leave him a message?”
“Yeah…” the voice answered. “Tell him to pull over.”
“On the highway.” Casey reiterated.
“Ok.” Another pause. “Who’s this?”
Here we go again. “Casey.”
“Hi Casey, tell him Matt wants a word.”
Casey placed the name. He was the guy who hosted those parties Zeke used to go to. “Is this about the party tomorrow?”
“Well it was until you answered the phone.”
“Sorry about that. He said he’s not going.”
“What’s his excuse this time?” This time? Oh, that’s right, he’d declined the New Year party.
“Sammi’s a cunt.” he explained.
“We’re all aware of this. It never stopped him before. Let me guess… You thought I was Sammi, right?”
“Yeah.” he said sheepishly.
“Ok, now I totally get the reaction. Put Zeke on.”
“He’s driving.”
“I care. Put him on.”
Casey sighed. “He’s insistent.” He held the phone out.
“Fuck man.” Zeke snarled into the phone. “I’m gonna get pulled. What?”
“I told you, man. I’m not fucking going. No offence but I’ve moved on.”
“I don’t care. I’m not going.”
He laughed. “So any reason you both call five minutes apart?”
He listened quietly for a moment. “Yeah, well he did. And he’s after Casey’s ass. He’s seriously fucked me off, Matt. Seriously.”
“Yeah, until brain trust in shotgun told him where we were going…”
“Exactly. I’m gonna rip him a new one.”
“Canton. Tinseltown.”
“Lock Stock... If I don’t get fucking arrested for assault.”
“You’re not funny!”
“Don’t you fucking… MATT!”
Zeke slung the phone onto the dash, it slid over and Casey caught it before it fell off. “Turn the fucking thing off!”
“Let me guess.” Casey shot. “I tell Sammi, you tell Matt and they’re both fucking coming.”
Zeke peered out at the highway. “I need a fuckin’ exit.”
“Whoah! Hang on. Why are they stopping us from seeing a film we’ve wanted to watch all week?”
“Cos you’re never meeting Sammi. End of.”
“Might do him good to see you with someone else. Help him… let go.”
“Sammi doesn’t know how. Me and a date equals share. I’ll snap. I know I will. I’ll fucking kill him. Fucking… prick!”
Casey folded his arms. “You seriously need to work on your anger issues.”
“Don’t fucking start!” He fished for his cigarettes. “He just winds me the fuck up.”
“And Matt?”
“Matt’s NOT an issue. Never has been.” He managed to light his smoke and his voice calmed after the exhale. “You’d like Matt actually, sound guy.”
Casey shifted to a comfier position that was as non confrontational as possible. He kept his voice light. “So he’s not an ex-whatever, then?”
“Fuck no. Straight as a board.” He glanced over and seemed to relax at Casey’s new pose. “He’s engaged. He’s just the host. He’s an architect now, the most mature out of all of us.”
“Okay.”
“Got a lot in common, Matt n’ me. Lost his parents in a car crash when he was seventeen. They left him everything. Money. Cars. Big house with a pool… ripe for parties. He kinda went off the rails too. Grief does weird things. Then a few years down the line I come along at fifteen, the baby of the group. He took care of me, ya know?”
“Babysitting Baby Zee?”
Zeke chuckled. “Kinda. Said I was the angriest kid he’d ever met. He made me realise some people had it worse. I couldn’t speak to my parents and they were breathing. He’d give anything for one last word but they were dead. Weird… duality shit.”
“Does he know about all that shit with your dad?”
“One of the elite few who do. Sammi certainly fucking doesn’t. He helped me sort my head out.”
Casey snuggled further into his seat to watch Zeke exhale. The pout was still damn sexy five months on. “You don’t need to turn the car round.”
“Yes I do.”
“No I’m serious. I can handle Sammi.”
“You don’t know him, Casey. He’s snaky.”
“You promised me once, that you’d never underestimate me ever again.”
Zeke glanced over. “I’m not, it’s just…” he sighed. “This is a bad idea.”
“You also promised me a movie.”
“Right… fine. Just remember, when this fucks up… this was your idea. And your fault.”
Casey snorted. “I take full responsibility.”
Part 2