dollpocalypse | Room 307, Tuesday Evening

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Room 307, Tuesday Evening

So for Topher, today had been noteworthy due to a variety of circumstances, the most obvious of which being:

1.) His best friend was apparently a world-famous political blogger who'd saved a whole bunch of kids' lives
2.) Said best friend had just been forced to go into hiding to avoid being killed by a Belgian psychopath
3.) Topher's room was still full of paint fumes, and
4.) It was his sixteenth birthday.

As a result of all of that, plus the portal-lag that came from the round-trip excursion to Peter's universe, Topher was just a little bit exhausted by the time he got back to his room in the evening. Too exhausted, in fact, to indulge in his usual birthday tradition of a cupcake and a couple rounds of laser tag at the nearest arena. So instead, by the time he got to his room, he flopped down on his bed to try to repress concerns about Peter by playing Tetris on his phone.

At least he was kicking ass at it, so, you know, there was that.

[[open! billy | dave | kenzi | ben ]]

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Doubtful. Topher was firm in his decision to Not Tell Her, and he somehow doubted Peter would be any more forthcoming on the subject. So.

"Yeah," he said, grateful for the subject change but a little puzzled by it. "I mean, they seem pretty... you know. Not that bright."

"They're not stupid. Not the way they were getting under his skin on purpose. That's all Wiggin." Kenzi hummed and took another drink, thinking. "But they do seem really, really oblivious. And his mom hates him. Well. At least really dislikes him. I wanted to smack her."

"I don't think so," Topher said honestly. "I think she just doesn't get him. And the kinds of things that piss him off."

He thought he knew what that was like.

"I think she's mad that Ender didn't come back. And Valentine left." And was needling Peter as a result. Partly because of the stuff Kenzi had overheard Peter's mom say on her last visit. "I wonder if they'll believe them when he tells them they have to leave? I mean, I guess they have to, or they might get a missile in their home."

Topher bit on the knuckle of his index finger. "I don't know if they will," he said after a minute. "I mean. It's kind of far-fetched. He's -- you know, he's smart, we get that he's smart, but his parents probably don't."

"Shit," Kenzi sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. She bit her lip. "Should we send him an e-mail? Ask him how it went? Or would he just bitch at us about bugging him when he has to be ready to flee soon?" More thinking aloud than anything else, there.

"Don't stress him out," Topher said immediately. "He'll do it. If they don't believe him, probably he'll just have to find a way to bullshit them into leaving anyway."

"Now, that I can believe," Kenzi said, relaxing a little. "Even if it's about calling in exterminators or telling them they won a free trip to Mazatlan." She shook her head, and took another drink, thinking. "Damnit. I want something to do. You know?"

Topher nodded. "Trying to think of what I can do to help," he admitted. "But there's nothing. Except -- making some kind of impenetrable bubble to follow him wherever he goes, which would probably get awkward."

"Extremely." Kenzi made a face. "I need to go to the gun range tomorrow. Practice some more. I mean, I doubt anyone's ever going to follow him here, but. Sister Karla and that kid found him here, so. Of course, that's for when he comes back." She tilted her head. "Body armor for him? Maybe?"

Topher shudded. "Carlotta," he corrected her.

Beat.

"Wait, you shoot guns?" Oh dear god, the world had just gotten about 70% more terrifying.

Kenzi grinned. "Wes showed me how, yup." She drummed her feet on floor. "It's important around here! With all the invasions. And if assassin types are going to show up, might as well use it, right?"

Yup. Terrifying.

...

"Dude," Topher said. "I never want to go outside ever again."

"Dude. You're safe!... as long as nothing's invading." Kenzi took another sip of booze, grinning, then looked thoughtful. "Sister Carlotta, right. Do you think..." Here's what had been bugging her. "Do you think he'll stay there? Work on the Hegemon thing in his own world?"

Topher shrugged and looked down. "He probably should," he said.

The idea of not seeing Peter again was kind of awful, though.

"Crap." That was kind of what she'd been thinking too. Which sucked. She wanted to know how it all came out! "But... it's not like he even needs high school. He's probably done enough to already have a college degree anyway." She tapped her fingers on the bottle. "On the other hand. Here's pretty safe, compared to his future, isn't it?"

Topher looked even less comfortable. "Here we have things that try to eat you and occasional apocalypses where people get blipped away into nothing," he muttered.

"Okay, yes, but. Um." Yeah, she had nothing. "At least it's not personal! And the dorms are usually safe!"

"Dorms disappeared in December."

Topher gave a helpless shrug.

"Never mind."

If Peter never came back, then at least he'd be safe. Probably. And at least Topher would be able to check the news on his desk to make sure of that. Peter was busy saving the world, anyway. Whatever happened, Topher -- some random kid missing the guy who'd been his first friend ever -- was pretty insignificant by comparison.

"No!" Kenzi pouted. "I don't like that he's there with no one else to watch his back!" She frowned and took another drink, then pointed at Topher. "And you don't like it either."

"Doesn't matter," Topher said. "Matters that he gets his parents to go with him somewhere safe. Hires a bodyguard. Whatever."

Kenzi grumbled under her breath, shaking her head. "He sucks at looking out for himself. I mean, half the time we were the ones feeding him!... A bodyguard and a keeper."

Topher had to almost snicker at that, because she made Peter sound like someone else he knew who Peter would have been appalled to be compared to.

"He'll manage," Topher said. That was sincere.

"We'll see him or we won't. No big deal." That... was forced.

"It is!" Kenzi whined. "We don't know what's happening! The suspense is killing me!" She slumped and took another pull on her drink. She pointed at Topher. "Can you, I dunno. At least follow future news? So if something happens..." Something bad.

"Well, duh," Topher said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like I don't already do that anyway."

Beat.

"Is that really -- I mean. The suspense, is that all that you...?"

Room 307, Tuesday Evening

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