make you miss me • q. hughes

17

Ladies of the Lake + Trevor

schuy
okay guys
before we all fuck off out of mich for the
most part
can we accept trevor as a lady?

luke
Hell no

jack
did he pay you

schuy
god no the cheap bastard didn't pay me

trevor
CHEAP??

val
there was a bribe just wasnt money

alex
prostitution?

schuy
didn't know you knew that many letters could
go in one word turcs

alex
wtf

trevor
She's nervous to get caught agreeing
to that bribe

schuy
ok z just ruined it for everyone
no Later Lake Ladies party

jack
dudeeeeeee
i'll offer my body if you let the party
happen

schuy
stop offering me your bodies
although yours was tempting jack

jack
sure it was

Quinn Hughes
What time?

val
4? or whenever u guys show up
also you guys were so chivalrous when
you first met schuy and now you're
offering your bodies to her what is going
on

schuy
i ruin gentlemen

luke
They were never gentlemen

schuy
right. ladies.

luke
That's better
I'll gladly be the last lady

val
HEY schuy and i are still ladies. jack
alex and quinn are not

Quinn Hughes
What did I do

val
doesnt even know

schuy
okay muting gotta continue packing

val
i am going to sob tonight jsut warning
everuone

schuy
typos show she already is

* * * * *

Val had to take a breather about five minutes after the guys got here. She's not good at goodbyes. I think it's an only-child thing. Whatever it is, it gets pretty hard on her. So, I took over cutting up whatever fruit we have left for her. We didn't see the guys for the week following my birthday. I talked to them nonstop other than Quinn. But, the week was for Val and my brothers. You know, before I have to move across the country.

The screen door slides open and shut. I already know who it is. I don't have to look up from the knife. He's a knife himself. God, why is he making me so... fucking wannabe poetic? I have never called a man a knife. No man has been allowed to cut me in six years. Yet Quinn Hughes seems to have cut me to the bone. Through it, even. He's tearing me apart.

"Hey," he says. The stool creaks. Still choosing the broken one after around two months of hanging out here. "I like your nails."

I mumble, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Do you need something or..." It's a bit snappier than I meant it to be. Not very disconnected of me.

He laughs. Laughs. Fuck this guy. "I didn't know I had to need something to be in the kitchen with you."

"I didn't say that."

"That's what it seemed like."

"Don't put words in my mouth, Hughes," I mean to be snappy that time.

"What's the matter?"

"What's the matter is you're getting on my fucking nerves. Ruining my day."

"What?" He breathes it more than he says it.

"You-- I can't stand you and you insist on doing so much shit and ruining good days like my birthday and--"

"What did I do to ruin your birthday? 'Cause I barely spent it with you. Zegs would have been the one to ruin it since you were glued to his hip."

I look at him. I stare.

"God, it sounds like I just time-traveled to the beginning of our summer," Val jokes, taking the knife out of my hand. Not in a taking back over way but in a disarming me way.

Quinn's burning me so I turn and go to the backyard. I try and ignore his existence as much as possible. Once we're all gone and scattered to the wind, I don't have to try and ignore him. I'll be able to fully ignore him. No lingering glances and stares. No looking at the bedroom door and thinking of him. This summer will be over and anything between Quinn and I will be gone.

* * * * *

"We have to see each other on any of my road trips to Vancouver, okay?" Jack may have had a bit more to drink than he usually does. "You are not allowed to not see me any chance there is. Maybe you can come out to Jersey with Val at some point. Or even by yourself."

"Of course," I say. We're sitting on the couch. Well, I'm sitting. Jack is laying down with his head in my lap. I swear if he's a puker, I'm going to die.

"I'm serious. Even though Quinn's messing up, I want to stay friends with you."

I can't help but laugh. "Do you know how many times I've cried in front of someone I've barely known? Probably zero times. I think you're the one who can't avoid me."

"I'm good with that."

* * * * *

It took some convincing but Jack called it a night eventually. Maybe it isn't an only child thing. Some people just don't like goodbyes. I, however, nearly spit the word out the moment I get back to my room. Quinn Hughes is sitting on the end of my bed and I want to melt into the floor.

"What the fuck do you want?"

He rolls his eyes, jaw set. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," I say. "Don't tell me you're attached because we hooked up a few times."

"I'm not attached, Scout. We need to talk about what your problem is."

"It hasn't changed all summer. My problem is you and the fact that you keep calling me that."

"It's your name!"

"God, I can't wait to not have to see you."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're so excited to be all alone in a new city." His voice softens a bit for the next part. "If you ever need anything..."

"I'm not calling you."

"You're going to miss me, you know that right?"

"I've never missed any fling I've had, Quinn," I say. "Don't get your hopes up."

"So we're done?"

"Wasn't avoiding you for no reason."

"Figured you were."

"You mean weren't?"

He's staring at my chest. Not in that way. At the necklace. "No, I thought you were being annoying for the hell of it."

"Didn't want to have a tough conversation," I shrug. My hand finds its way to the necklace, fucking with the charm.

Quinn looks away with a sharp breath. "You've never had an issue making conversations tough before."

"Whatever, Quinn. Can I have my bed back?"

He hesitates for a second. Something pulls and rugs at him but he fights it off and obviously commits to his original thought. "You know you like it better with me in it."

"And I think you'd like it better with someone else in it," I shoot back. "Seriously, get out."