Post by Jude Hastings on Jul 12, 2017 11:35:58 GMT -5
Bryce didn't come at them, instead vanishing off into the distance with Maddie in tow. He shook his head. Jude had never approved of that relationship, and he had let Maddie know from the very start. He was a married man with a kid, but more than that, he was a dangerous piece of shit. This whole family was. But Jude had always been sure that no one would have approved of his relationship either, and so he kept his opinion about it mostly to himself. But now, watching Maddie go off with Bryce was like watching his comrade fight on enemy lines, and he felt bad for Parnell. His best friend had never received Maddie and men well, and to see it now, so sudden and sharp, infuriated him. He could see it in the way that his jaw set, in how hard his eyes were. But at least the interaction distracted him from his original line of questioning, and stemmed his curiosity about where Jude had come from.
Brad commented about Jude cooking for everyone, about having to earn his keep, and Jude couldn't have been more obliged. Cooking was his passion and his calling in life, and he enjoyed every second of it, even if it was for people that he detested. Jude had cooked for them many a time before the world ended, and he knew where everything was in this kitchen. If they had moved things or lost them, he would just have to make due. But it would be easy to cook for them in this setting. It would also be easy to kill them all, too, if he so chose. Food was a great mask for murder.
"Heard," he said to Brad. He had a feeling that he probably didn't understand restaurant slang, but it was so knee-jerk after being called Chef that he couldn't help himself. The brash man vacated the house after talking shit to Parnell, and as Parnell's glare worsened, Jude knew that things were not about to end well for him. But as Boyd started asking them a bunch of questions about where they had come from and how they were, Jude almost would have preferred his company.
Jude didn't want to talk about anything with anyone, not his friends or his lover. He definitely didn't want to talk about it with someone that he didn't know that well. Boyd had been away at school for the bulk of Jude's relationship with Brody, and he knew him the least. "We just met up again here," he dodged. "So I don't know where they got dug up."
He said nothing about himself, and as Boyd started asking about where all of his family members were, Jude knew about as much as he did. He had woken up from an unwelcome slumber shortly before Boyd did, and the only reason that he knew that Beau was missing was because he had walked in on the conversation. But he didn't feel like it was his place to break that news to Boyd, and also, he didn't care enough for Beau to transmit the information. Rather than touch on any of that, he instead nodded to Boyd. "Water would be fine, thanks."
But the persistent boy kept on, asking how they had been and saying that they looked like shit. Jude knew that he did. Parnell was as strong as ever, despite the world ending. It was Jude who had suffered, and looked worse for wear. He dodged the line of questioning and asked, "When did you get back from school?"
It wasn't because he cared, but rather because he wanted the spotlight on anyone but himself. Boyd perked up as Brody came into the room, asking about getting food going before Brad complained too much. "I'll get something going in a minute. What do you guys got for food around here?"
Jude was tired, and his southern twang was beginning to come out more than usual. But even in his exhaustion, he noticed the dufflebag in Brody's hands, and his eyebrows furrowed. He had seen that bag on more than one occasion in the past, and had jokingly named it his run-away bag. When they had gone off to Copenhagen, that was the bag that Brody had packed. When he had gotten picked on too much by his brothers and wanted to leave, he had always packed that bag before Jude stopped him. To see it now made the wheels in his head turn, and it distracted his attention as Brody spoke to Parnell. He looked to Jude, but he was unable to hold his gaze, and he told him to help himself to anything that he could find. Unlike earlier, he was apologetic and felt a deep remorse for everything that had happened.
He moved off into the garage, and while Avery came down to talk to Parnell, his eyes lingered on that door. He didn't know what Brody was going to do, but if he had his run-away bag, it couldn't have been good. Jude felt a strange cocktail of indifference and worry, and he didn't know how to stomach it. Avery sent Parnell off to change, and she smiled and said hello, asking if he was okay. He looked back to her, and in her eyes, he recognized that pain. That hidden pain, deep beneath the surface. He tried to return her smile, but it was small and soft. "Hey, girl. I'll be all right." He didn't know if that would be true yet, but he doubted it. "Are you okay?"
Jude had never been too close to Avery, but there was something between them on Jude's part, unspoken. He didn't feel so alone when she was near. He didn't feel so misunderstood and disconnected. Maybe one day he could talk to her. But today wasn't going to be that day. He diverted his eyes back to the door, rocking on his heels, and then finally bit the inside of his cheek. "Hey, do me a favor and tell Parnell that I'll be right back if he gets here before me, okay? I don't want him to flip his lid."
He pushed himself off of the door frame and went out into the garage. Brody hadn't left yet, but it was clear that he was trying. Jude shut the door and leaned on the wall to the garage, his eyes burning into Brody's form. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, because really, he didn't know what he wanted. He should have just let him go, let him die out there if he was going to leave. But there was something in him that didn't want that to happen. Even though Jude had been through hell and back, he didn't want Brody to have to suffer that same fate.
"You going to fly the coop?" He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed him. "Where you gonna go? Copenhagen? Montreal? I hear that Baja is nice this time of year." He let his eyes trail to the little windows in the garage door. "Don't know how far you're gonna get the in the rain and the dark, though."
Brad commented about Jude cooking for everyone, about having to earn his keep, and Jude couldn't have been more obliged. Cooking was his passion and his calling in life, and he enjoyed every second of it, even if it was for people that he detested. Jude had cooked for them many a time before the world ended, and he knew where everything was in this kitchen. If they had moved things or lost them, he would just have to make due. But it would be easy to cook for them in this setting. It would also be easy to kill them all, too, if he so chose. Food was a great mask for murder.
"Heard," he said to Brad. He had a feeling that he probably didn't understand restaurant slang, but it was so knee-jerk after being called Chef that he couldn't help himself. The brash man vacated the house after talking shit to Parnell, and as Parnell's glare worsened, Jude knew that things were not about to end well for him. But as Boyd started asking them a bunch of questions about where they had come from and how they were, Jude almost would have preferred his company.
Jude didn't want to talk about anything with anyone, not his friends or his lover. He definitely didn't want to talk about it with someone that he didn't know that well. Boyd had been away at school for the bulk of Jude's relationship with Brody, and he knew him the least. "We just met up again here," he dodged. "So I don't know where they got dug up."
He said nothing about himself, and as Boyd started asking about where all of his family members were, Jude knew about as much as he did. He had woken up from an unwelcome slumber shortly before Boyd did, and the only reason that he knew that Beau was missing was because he had walked in on the conversation. But he didn't feel like it was his place to break that news to Boyd, and also, he didn't care enough for Beau to transmit the information. Rather than touch on any of that, he instead nodded to Boyd. "Water would be fine, thanks."
But the persistent boy kept on, asking how they had been and saying that they looked like shit. Jude knew that he did. Parnell was as strong as ever, despite the world ending. It was Jude who had suffered, and looked worse for wear. He dodged the line of questioning and asked, "When did you get back from school?"
It wasn't because he cared, but rather because he wanted the spotlight on anyone but himself. Boyd perked up as Brody came into the room, asking about getting food going before Brad complained too much. "I'll get something going in a minute. What do you guys got for food around here?"
Jude was tired, and his southern twang was beginning to come out more than usual. But even in his exhaustion, he noticed the dufflebag in Brody's hands, and his eyebrows furrowed. He had seen that bag on more than one occasion in the past, and had jokingly named it his run-away bag. When they had gone off to Copenhagen, that was the bag that Brody had packed. When he had gotten picked on too much by his brothers and wanted to leave, he had always packed that bag before Jude stopped him. To see it now made the wheels in his head turn, and it distracted his attention as Brody spoke to Parnell. He looked to Jude, but he was unable to hold his gaze, and he told him to help himself to anything that he could find. Unlike earlier, he was apologetic and felt a deep remorse for everything that had happened.
He moved off into the garage, and while Avery came down to talk to Parnell, his eyes lingered on that door. He didn't know what Brody was going to do, but if he had his run-away bag, it couldn't have been good. Jude felt a strange cocktail of indifference and worry, and he didn't know how to stomach it. Avery sent Parnell off to change, and she smiled and said hello, asking if he was okay. He looked back to her, and in her eyes, he recognized that pain. That hidden pain, deep beneath the surface. He tried to return her smile, but it was small and soft. "Hey, girl. I'll be all right." He didn't know if that would be true yet, but he doubted it. "Are you okay?"
Jude had never been too close to Avery, but there was something between them on Jude's part, unspoken. He didn't feel so alone when she was near. He didn't feel so misunderstood and disconnected. Maybe one day he could talk to her. But today wasn't going to be that day. He diverted his eyes back to the door, rocking on his heels, and then finally bit the inside of his cheek. "Hey, do me a favor and tell Parnell that I'll be right back if he gets here before me, okay? I don't want him to flip his lid."
He pushed himself off of the door frame and went out into the garage. Brody hadn't left yet, but it was clear that he was trying. Jude shut the door and leaned on the wall to the garage, his eyes burning into Brody's form. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, because really, he didn't know what he wanted. He should have just let him go, let him die out there if he was going to leave. But there was something in him that didn't want that to happen. Even though Jude had been through hell and back, he didn't want Brody to have to suffer that same fate.
"You going to fly the coop?" He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed him. "Where you gonna go? Copenhagen? Montreal? I hear that Baja is nice this time of year." He let his eyes trail to the little windows in the garage door. "Don't know how far you're gonna get the in the rain and the dark, though."