just guys being dudes

It was a normal night of two normal dudes doing normal things. Lachlan Reid and Oliver Garrett had just gotten back from the pizzeria with a huge New York style thin crust pizza. This was basically how they would spend any Thursday night, or any night for that matter. Oliver set the pizza down on the kitchen island and flipped the lid open. He grabbed a slice and started eating quickly while Lachlan poured ale into two pint glasses. Lachlan set the drinks down on the island and took a slice of pizza, eating it from the crust first, then the normal way,  leaving the middle for last.

“I will never understand why you eat your pizza like that.” Oliver said, shaking his head.

“The middle is the best part, dude. The cheese isn’t like weirdly burnt and the pepperoni is just a nice full slice. You’re missing out eating your just bread last.” Lachlan said, grabbing another slice and his beer, heading to one of the La-Z-Boys in the living area. Lachlan had always been about optimization: optimizing eating, optimizing relationships, optimizing time, optimizing intoxication. So what if eating pizza was just another way to do that?

Oliver took a slice of pizza and his cup. He set it down next to the other La-Z-Boy and started pacing around the clubhouse. Oliver spent a lot of time here, but there was still a lot that he didn’t know. For starters, how had it ended up decorated the way it was? It didn’t seem like Sam, Augustine, or Lachlan would be master interior designers, after all.

Oliver scanned the mantle again as Lachlan turned on the tv above him. He came across the picture of Lachlan about age 10 with his childhood friends. He’d seen most of them before and had even hung out with Delilah, and everyone knew about what happened to Skye Maddox, but Oliver’s brain still couldn’t synthesize all of them as friends. Lachlan and Monroe made sense. So did Skye and Kirsten, but all of them together, and any of them and Tieghlur, was just very confusing to him.

“How did you guys even work?” Oliver muttered out loud, pointing to the picture for Lachlan who just shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess we were just in the right place at the right time. Or we were all in the wrong place at the right time. I still haven’t completely figured that out.” Lachlan said, scrolling through the PS4 menu, not breaking his eyes from the tv.

“Do you ever wonder what life would be like with all of you together again?” Oliver asked, moving to take the other controller and sit in his chair.

“I don’t really get that luxury. Skye’s dead so it’s not like we ever could be.” Lachlan said it so matter-of-factly. “Anyway, you wouldn’t be there if it was just the six of us, and that just doesn’t seem right anymore.”

Oliver sat back in his chair and turned his attention to the game in front of them. It was weird to think that Lachlan’s life was such a smooth transition from kid to legionnaire. Him and all his friends had known their future before they were even in school. Oliver’s life had been completely uprooted to come to Camp Jupiter. His childhood haunts were a 28 hour drive away. Lachlan’s were always coming back around.

Lachlan’s phone suddenly went off again and again and again. He pulled it out of his pocket. He’d received half a dozen texts in about 5 seconds, 3 of which were from a name he hadn’t expected to see: Kirsten Tanaka. If she was reaching out, there had to be some serious news. Kirsten was always fast on the gossip train. He slid the home screen open and his jaw practically hit the ground. Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Everything good, dude?” Oliver asked. Lachlan looked up at Oliver and he didn’t recognize that look in his eyes. It was a mix of shock and disorientation and maybe even a little bit of fear.

“Skye just came back. She’s alive. And alone.” Suddenly everything was a flurry of motion. The tv was off and the boys were out of their chairs, getting their shoes on. They sped out the door, running to go and meet whatever crazy future was awaiting them now that everything had changed.

Alone meant one thing to Lachlan and Oliver: Caroline was not coming back.

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