cristianova

[cristianova]

Cristiano saluted The Pit’s final patrons for the night with a big smile. “Hasta la vista, you sexy people.” He cheered. His customer service demeanor devolved into a calm smirk as he watched the doors fling closed. It was surprisingly easy to pretend Noah didn’t exist. At least for Cristiano. The way he saw it...Noah was usually quiet and pensive even when the duo were on good terms. Cris chose to pretend this was one of those days and not representative of a fallout in their friendship. Lately Cris had been constantly examining if he even liked being friends with the gang. The lack of unity. The secrets. The hypocrisy. Maybe it would be easier to just be numb to all of it. So when Noah dared open his lips after hours of silence...Cristiano instinctively rolled his eyes. “Yeah maybe.” He crossed his arms as he watched Noah move about the bar. 

“You know..” Cristiano began abruptly. “My mom got that professor job...I don’t need the money as much. I can totally get out of your guys’ hair.” He said, grabbing the glasses on the bar. He was so excited to work with Noah and Casey at the beginning of the summer. But after hearing what Noah did...after seeing the way he was “coping” with being one of the more suspicious members of the gang. The fun summer vibes had definitely evacuating. “It’s weird to work with someone who is obviously holding their tongue. Even though I have no clue what I could have done to piss you off so much. Ya know...besides being extorted by a megalomaniac to drop a drama bomb that should have been out in the open years ago.”

who: @cristianova​ what: after school where: The Pit

Noah had, a number of reasons he’d been avoiding Cristiano. The fact that he’d sold out Zahra, the fact that Noah’d been a dick to him in the AOL thread about it, and mainly, and possibly the number one reason, the fact that he’d found Lux’s whole suicide note in the boys bag. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when they literally worked in the same place. The place right below the apartment he shared with his brothers. So it shouldn’t have surprised him that with the return of his school schedule and his inability to work the shifts he did over the summer that they’d find themselves paired for a shift again. Thanks a million Ronnie. He thought to himself when he spotted the other boy on the floor. Considered there was still a certain amount of avoidance they could get away with if they both just kept working. That was until the bar seemed to clear out like the place had been condemned. A sense of nervousness rising in his chest as he watched the last two customers file out, leaving him alone behind the bar with none other than Cristiano Van Allen. “Ronnie’s gotta start passing out those college night flyers again.” Noah sighed, in what was perhaps the lamest attempt at small talk he could have possibly mustered as he grabbed a rag from behind the bar to start wiping down tables. “Or this place is fucked.” 

[cristianova]

👨🏽‍🎨

Was Cristiano doing well since the Lakehouse? Not particularly. The same anxiety he’d been feeling leading up to the trip had returned. Candy Girl was dropping bombs left and right...which was bad...but also weirdly refreshing for Cris? The whole think was both stressful and confusing. School would fix everything. That’s what Cris had to tell himself. He had the safety net of his esteemed professors now, one of which was his own mother. Who knew having your business burnt to a crisp could fuel a career pivot? He could throw himself into his studies like he always did. He could throw himself into Spinner! Wait...what? 

Cris couldn’t help but do a double take when he heard the familiar voice of Spinner Reyes. He paced toward him with a squint. “I’m sorry...isn’t this an event for C.C.U. students?” He questioned gleefully. He gave an eyebrow raise to his coworker pouring drinks, and sure as day...Cris had a matching shot in moments. Before he could toast, he made the realization. “Wait a second...are you enrolled this semester? Or is this the moment when you tell me you’re majoring in getting laid?” He asked, excitement dancing across his eyes. Hopefully this was one of Spinner’s ill-timed jokes. Cris didn’t think he’d be able to focus with his southside infatuation stomping around campus. 

who: @cristianova​ what: A lil run in on the quad 

Spinner didn’t know much about college. He remembered being dragged on tours when he was in high school for some of the classes he took that would try and encourage him to go, but he’d always known somewhere deep down that it wasn’t for him. Which had him feeling a certain type of way when the big dogs told him they’d enrolled him. Sure he knew it was for the greater good, but come on man, Applied Anthropology? He didn’t know what the fuck Anthropology was. Let alone how to apply it to literally anything. Music Theory he figured would be a walk in the park, right along with applied Gym. But English Lit? Shit they were gonna make him read and stuff. These were the things that had him nervous. And he wondered briefly if most other students felt the same way and was the reason they had a literal bar on campus serving alcohol to a student body made up majorly of students who couldn’t drink it. Either way he wasn’t going to complain as he stopped his happy ass by The Pit and grabbed himself a little shotty shot. Something he was just about to knock back when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome himself. “Ay yo Van Allen! Come over here. Do this with me. We’re celebrating! Backpacks and papers and pencil’s and shit!” 

[cristianova]

zev!

📹

He could’ve told anyone that the Lakehouse trip was not the best idea. Just cramming a bunch of people in a house together and expecting them to either work through their shit or just put it aside? Not possible. At least not for the Gang. He hadn’t wanted to be branded a pessimist, though, so he’d gone along. Zev would have loved to be proven wrong, but alas…

Sitting down to eat at The Pit was, he recognized, a bit of a bold move. He definitely felt tense with the state of his relationships with both Russell boys, but damn it if their food wasn’t exactly what he was craving. When someone started to approach his table, he felt his heart rate increase. Why come out at all if he really wanted to avoid everyone and everything? Upon seeing that it was Cris, though, his pulse calmed. “Oh, hey,” he greeted. “Yeah, dude, dig in. There’s no way I can finish that all anyway,” he pushed his plate towards the middle of the table so they could both access. “I forgot how big the portions are here, honestly. Luckily you’re here, I’ve got no one else to share this with, clearly.”

👨🏽·🎨

Cristiano sometimes wondered what it felt like to be Zev. What it felt like to practically be a Hargrove. What it felt like to keep composure when everything was going haywire...at least on the outside. He respected Zev’s demeanor. Cris didn’t hesitate to dig into the food he was poking fun at literal moments prior. He let the silence sit between them for a moment. They were good at that. Quietly enjoying each others’ company. But as Cristiano took a gulp and made eye contact with Zev, he couldn’t help but pose the question that had been in the back of his head since they left. “I know this is probably the last thing you want to talk about...” He prefaced, his voice getting low as his eyes darted between Ronnie and Zev. “...how to you think all this Lakehouse shit is gonna playout?” Cristiano asked. “Even I don’t feel that comfortable since coming back. I can’t imagine how like...Elaine or Noah is feeling. Have you spoken to anybody?” 

[cristianova]

who: anybody

where: The Pit

what: Cristiano totally didn’t spit in your food I promise. 

Things were a little bit tense at The Pit ever since the gang got back from the Lakehouse. At least...for Cristiano they were. He couldn’t really muster up the banter he was known for. He felt guilty around Casey and weary around Noah. How could one night completely change the way he interacted with two of his closest friends. Either way, Cristiano had tables to serve. It was beyond him how many people winded up at The Pit for lunch or dinner...they’d only been making food for a few months. 

On top of the stress of Candy Girl planting seeds of doubt within his friend group...he hadn’t been sleeping too well. Likely the results of whatever got into his system that weekend. You could read it all over Cristiano’s face. Exhaustion.  But when he stepped out of the kitchen with platter in hand and was met with a familiar face, he couldn’t help but warm up a little. He placed the food down and slid in the seat across from them. “Fact #1: eating alone at a bar is super depressing. Fact #2: you just gave me the perfect excuse to take my lunch break.” He explained, letting out a deep breath. He eyed their plate. “I’ll look the other way on your tip if you share some grub.” 

[cristianova]

@caseyfm​

Cristiano felt like a little bit of a dick. He and Casey had made pretty great groundwork in the past few months. They were more than birthweek sharers at this point, they were buds. Buds didn’t keep secrets! Well...buds didn’t keep secrets that weren’t a matter of life or death! In his hesitancy to spend time with the gang...he never got a chance to update Casey on what happened at the drive-in. He was the only one in gang who knew about his feelings for Spinner. So Cristiano voted that he and Casey take a little hike together this morning. To take in the sights...but also so that Cristiano could spill the beans on some hot gossip for once. He clutched his backpack straps tightly at the duo reached the top of and incline, taking a deep breath into his diaphragm. “Now that we’re finally alone...your drive-in prophecy came true, Casey!” Cristiano explained, smile brimming from ear to ear. “You should keep manifesting things! We could be millionaires when you and that mouth are through!”

[cristianova]

rocky!

-

Anyone else might have earned a verbal thanks from Rocky but Cristiano instead earned: silence. Silence as she slipped past him and towards the sink. Which had to still count for something because it wasn’t a sarcastic remark nor insult, right? In that silence she squeeze toothpaste onto toothbrush, wet it, and got to work. Quicker she was out of here the better, she thought. When he spoke, she looked to him and raised brows slightly for a moment. Not answering straight away on account of the toothbrushing of it all. She wondered if his words were an attempt to throw her off, unease her a little– she couldn’t quite tell. She leaned over to spit out excess toothpaste into the sink, turning it on a moment to wash it away. “ It’s not awkward. ” She said, looking to him as she stood up straight again. Tone somewhat assuring, somewhat blunt. Following words with a quick pursed smile. “ Do you think it’s awkward? ” She asked, letting that sit for a beat before she added, “ Because if you do, you can just say that. Instead of asking me if I think it’s awkward and all this pussy footing around bullshit. ” Another quick smile, this time a sarcastically sweet sort of one, before she started brushing her teeth again.

🗽

Cristiano nodded at Rocky’s response with a smile at first. That was good. He didn’t really see eye to eye with the girl anymore...but that didn’t mean he wanted her to suffer all weekend. The lakehouse was a safe place. The first time he was invited...it really made him feel comfortable in the friend group. He wasn’t the weird sculptor activist kid. Well...he definitely still way. But he was the weird sculptor activist kid with friends his own age! Cristiano didn’t want to block Rocky from that kind of joy. But right before he could share that excitement, Rocky snapped back. “Yo, cariño! Chill!” Cris responded, avoiding eye contact and looking back in the mirror. “I’m actually...glad you’re here.” He said, a weak-willed campaigner’s fib. In a way...Rocky making an appearance hammers home Cristiano’s goal for the gang this weekend. Channel enough nostalgia to recharge the gang. With all the rumors and secrets flying about back home...they needed to be a united front. Rocky wasn’t his first choice in a comrade...but she would do. “I want things to go back to the way we were before puberty and untimely death ruined everything for us. Things were normal! You were part of that. You know...before you belittled my entire being and then abandoned me for the Southside.” He said, with a laugh that sounded stale. It was definitely a sour wound. 

[cristianova]

rocky!

-

Rocky should have seen this one coming. That all these motherfuckers would be bathroom hogs. Like, okay we get it! You’ve never had to share a bathroom before! But Rocky was going to go insane if she had to stand around waiting to brush her teeth a moment longer. Like, seriously, she was about two seconds away from doing it in the kitchen like some kind of animal. Even knowing that would earn serious protest from anyone who caught her. So here she was, pounding on the door she knew contained another bathroom. About to reply that she didn’t hear water running when door opened in her face. And she’s face to face with a half naked Cris. Of all fucking people. Like, literally she might have preferred Kitty. Her arms cross across her torso, toothbrush and toothpaste sticking out against her arm. “ And there’s circles closer to hell. ” She quipped in response, tone sarcastic and dry. “ It’s in use, obviously. You gonna let me brush my teeth or what? ”

🗽

Cristiano grit his teeth. Did he really want to be the kind of guy who made a big deal about a bathroom. He tilted this head, gesturing for Rocky to come in. In turn he slid down to the second sink and splashed water on his face. As he reached for his can of Noxzema, he finally eyes Rocky once more. “Are you having fun?” He asked pointedly. He tried not to pay attention to Rocky in general...but he didn’t realize she getting close to the gang again this summer. “Like we all have loads of memories being here...and I know you don’t really. I hope its not like...awkward or anything. ” He pondered, rubbing the product through his skin. He was genuinely curious...but he knew how it sounded. He didn’t really care to fix his words. “At the end of the day...an awkward weekend in the lakehouse is better than an awkward night in Harvey’s basement.” 

[cristianova]

who: @ofsouthsidcrs​ where: the bathroom nearest the family guest room what: mean girl cristiano rising

Cristiano was so glad he passed out before the skinny dipping began. Not that he was a prude or anything, he just knew his assets looked a lot better at room temperature and with adequate lighting. He thought on this truth as he checked himself out in the mirror. He figured he had some time to center himself before the events of the day. He had learned the precise science of tuning Kitty and Elaine out this weekend...but he was pretty sure they were wrapped up in something else. Right before he could enter phase 6 of the 10 phase Cristiano Van Allen skincare routine, he heard a couple of bangs on the door. “I’m in here.” He said gently. But the banging continued. He sighed and wrapped a towel around his waist before opening the door. It was Rocky. Of course it was Rocky. “Isn’t there a bathroom closer to the den?” He asked bluntly. 

[cristianova]

spinner!

💊

That smirk. That’s what he’d been aiming for. He shoots. He scores as far as Spinner was concerned. Even if it only lasted for a minute before he felt like he’d lost him again. That was a thing with Cris. One moment he swore he was there in the moment and the next it felt like he was 30,000 miles away. It was the kind of thing he wanted to ask about but knew he didn’t have the verbiage to articulate it the way he needed to. So instead he sat and waited for Cris to respond, thinking over his words carefully. Once again there was this mention of danger. The kind of thing Spinner usually ran head first into that Cris was trying to… what? Protect him from? “Bad things happen all the time Van Allen. I guess I’ve always believed in running towards it instead of running from it. Maybe it’s why you can’t seem to get rid of me.” He teased as he sat up in his seat, tilting his head as he let himself look the other boy over expectantly. “Maybe it’s like a sign or some shit you know? I wanna believe in stuff like that.” Spinner said simply, nodding his head. “Yeah I think I got what you mean.” 

🗽

Cris’s smile widened. Maybe Spinner had a point. After all he couldn’t stop the bad things from happening, but he could choose how to react to them. As he looked at Spinner...he realized there was probably a whole world of experience behind his quips. Possibly experiences that made candy girl torment look like a cakewalk. It was in that moment that Cristiano decided he was going to take control of his narrative. There was a brief silence after Spinner spoke...after he looked Cris over like he’d done so many time before. “Maybe it is a sign.” Cris repeated. He took a deep breath. “I guess if destiny wills it...we should just kiss already.” Cris spoke, trying to stop himself from giggling. “You know...just to keep things in alignment.” 

[cristianova]

mackenzie!

🎸

As Cristiano gets lost in the daydream, Mackenzie gets lost in his own, one where his life was way less complicated. He sighs as he feels Cris’ finger poking him, throwing his head back against the seat dramatically and covering his eyes. “I’m in too fucking deep, Cris. And you have to promise not to repeat anything that I say to you. What happens in this junker, stays in this junker,” he doesn’t even need to look up for confirmation, he trusted his friend enough not to go blabbing about his miserable love life, “Me and Kitty- we aren’t together-together, you know? Like she said it herself, we’re not a couple. And she wants to end things or whatever in September. And I was totally bummed about that because I really fucking like her. Or maybe I even love her, I don’t know anymore. But there’s this guy- don’t even ask me who he is because I’m not telling you. Anyway, there’s this guy who I thought was a total dick and then he kissed me and then we kissed again and then we kissed again, and now I can’t get his stupid face out of my stupid head. But I don’t know if he even likes me like that, like maybe he just really likes kissing me, you know? And really- I don’t even know a whole lot about him! So what if I think I like him, and actually I just like kissing him.” All of his words come out in a rush, and he takes a deep breath as he sits back up, “Fucking pathetic, right?” 

🗽

Cris tried his best to be empathetic while Mackenzie went on and on about their mutual friend. He didn’t really see what Mac saw in Kitty. But Cris knew the boy well enough to understand how he could fall for anyone her. Before he could feign sympathy, Mac threw a little bit of a curveball. A secret male lover. Spicy, indeed. His jaw dropped for a moment as Mackenzie bared his soul. “Have you met yourself, bubba? I’m pretty sure this guy wants to do more than just kiss you.” Cris said, eyebrows raised. He couldn’t say he’d never thought about it himself. Mackenzie was the hot girl of the gang. Maybe even the town? “Why the secrecy, though? All of us fall for dicks from time to time. Falling for dicks is in the DNA of our great country.” Cris questioned. 

[cristianova]

Cris had seen Mackenzie out of the rearview mirror. He prayed he was on a path toward any other junker. But the door opened. Mac slumped himself in the passenger seat...looking like an innocent puppy-dog. Did Cris actually want to be alone tonight? He couldn’t remember as attempted to fight off the comfort he felt around Mackenzie. He lowered the volume on the radio and cleared his throat. “I mean Joel Osteen is surprisingly charming. Like I could almost get over the whole bonding of capitalism and Christianity thing when I look at that mug.” He explained, zoning out for a bit as he pictured the Texan pastor in a dimly lit restaurant.  He looked over to Mac. “Something tells me you’re not talking about televangelists though. And I don’t give advice without...that juicy context.” He teased, poking Mac. Maybe getting out of his drama and into Mackenzie’s would help him feel a little bit better. 

closed starter for @cristianova​

Usually, Mac would take his romantic woes to Casey or Frankie- or both of them if they were unlucky enough to get stuck with him sulking in the middle of band practice. But this thing he had going with Harvey, if you could even consider it that, wasn’t a subject he thought he could broach with either of them. Frankie because she’d probably tell him he was being crazy- which he was. And Casey for obvious reasons. And really, he hadn’t meant to bring it up to Cristiano, but he’d stumbled out of the projection booth with his hair mussed and his shirt wrinkled and all but tripped into the junker Cristiano had taken claim of. 

“Have you ever liked someone you knew you weren’t supposed to?” 

[cristianova]

casey!

⚡️

“Hey, last I checked David won that battle. So that just means that with time I’m totally gonna eclipse this dude’s impact.” He points out, although the fact Cristiano is avoiding his gaze isn’t lost on him and maybe, if he’d had better observational skills, he’d notice that the avoidance wasn’t limited to just him. But as Cristiano looks at James Dean’s ridiculous jawline instead of at him, he lands on a different conclusion. Great. Casey isn’t just fucking up his own love life, he has graduated from that and moved onto fucking up his friends’ with terrible advice. “You gonna watch it?” He says after a beat, nudging his head towards the poster before adding a nosy: “… Maybe with your special funeral-goer?” Surely there had been a better way to word that. 

v

If Cris was honest, he hoped Casey’s impact would overshadow even Whitney Houston’s one day. Casey deserved that kind of ascendant life story. If Cristiano was feeling better he probably would have shared that truth. “I was actually gonna watch it by myself.” He explained, flashing his ticket. Cris had told Casey about his feelings for Spinner. He did it because he trusted Casey, maybe more than a lot of his friends. The advice shared wasn’t lost on him...but almost immediately after their conversation Cris and Frankie ended up at the town hall. The proceeding events weren’t exactly romcom redemption arc fuel. “I actually...never got around to talking to him again.” Cris explained before shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s probably for the best though, right? Romance and monogamy is like...reflective of the patriarchy ya know. I’ll leave the heartbreaking to you and Mack.” He suggested, looking over to Casey with a fake smile. 

[cristianova]

spinnerreyes·:

💊

Symptoms of global injustice. Spinner almost wanted to laugh but he didn’t think Cris would find it quite as funny as he did. But damn was that an insult if he’d ever heard one. Last time he’d been referred to as a symptom was when he was coming out of the womb. And it was a burn he never quite recovered from. “I mean…” He paused, for once in his life thinking before he spoke. It’d be too easy to wipe it off and say they weren’t that mad. But the reality was, tensions were building on the south side. Tensions that were hard to deny even for him. “Should have used like frozen strawberries. Everyone loves strawberries.” He teased, but the truth was it was a reach of a joke even for him. When Cris spoke again, Spinner’s expression changed. It didn’t soften, but it shifted to one that mimicked how he was feeling. Sincerity mixed with nausea and confusion. The concept of safety had always felt a little foreign to him. Mostly because at a young age he’d determined that he didn’t really care what happened to him. Nobody else did. So why should he? Why not explore all the world had to offer no matter how dangerous? Venture into worlds everyone else around him deemed too dangerous or risque. So the thought of someone trying to keep him from said danger was like listening to Cris speak a foreign language. “Out of curiosity… How’d you see that going Van Allen? In your head, if it didn’t break things out into fight mode?” Purposely avoiding the question he really wanted to ask, what sort of danger was I in?

🗽

Cristiano smirked at Spinner’s strawberry comment. It was stupid but somehow Spinner made stupid sound kind of funny. The reality of cherry proper v. southside was significantly less funny. Cristiano could act like he didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it...but in reality Lux’s box and the state of their town was all he could think about these days. And he couldn’t even act on his fear. He couldn’t mobilize or educate. He just had to sit on Hargrove’s hush money and hope the whole thing would sort itself out. Painful for a guy like Cris. Spinner’s next question was really unexpected. it snapped Cris right out of his inner monologue. “I don’t know.” He said quickly. “Like...bad things happen around me and my friends. At risk of sounding like my mom, I feel like I can sense that shit coming at this point.” He said, finally looking back at Spinner. “Bad things haven’t happened when we’re together. I guess I just thought...” He started, smiling creeping on his face. He laughs. “You know what I mean.” He finished. But did Spinner know what Cris meant? Did he know how highly Cristiano rated him? Was he scared of missing out on each other like Cristiano was?

[cristianova]

👁️✨🤨

👁️

“I don’t blame Lux for Candy Girl. But I do sometimes get angry about the fact that the two never got to interact. I think Lux vs. Candy Girl would have been a battle for the ages.”

✨

“Charmed isn’t even close to the word that I would use. Maybe...beguiled? She definitely beguiled a lot of people.” 

🤨

“I always thought Lux was mean in a like empowering feminist way. Until we got to C.C.U. that is. The way she dumped all of her drama and insecurity on Alice was pretty fucking mean. Even if she actually thought Alice was behind the rumor...the way she went about everything was horrible.”

[cristianova]

HAPPY LUX DAY.

A year of mourning, and a year of chaos. A year of facing the demons that won’t quit knocking at the Gang’s door… and you wanna know what I wanna know? Just what makes the Gang tick about their least favorite ex-blonde. So, for this Meme Day? It’s all about Lux! Pin this to your bulletin board if you feel like participating in the Q&A, and don’t forget to ask as many questions as you send out. Ciao!

🎧: what song reminds you of your relationship with Lux, and why? 

💋: did the two of you ever lock lips? did you want to? 

😱: what’s the biggest secret you ever told Lux? do you think she ever told anyone?

🧣: what season reminds you the most of Lux?

👖: did you ever let her borrow anything of yours? did she ever give it back?

🛒: what was the best gift she ever bought you?

💄: if you could have changed one thing about Lux, what would it have been? 

💍: fmk: lux, [blank], [blank] 

👅: reveal one awful thing you thought about lux. 

👾: what’s the worst thing that lux ever did to you?

🤨: what’s the worst thing you ever saw lux do to somebody else? 

🌶: did you ever get so mad at lux you felt like you wanted to kill her? 

🎞: do you think she was really murdered? 

🍸: what’s your favorite drunken memory with lux? 

✨: did you feel charmed by her? 

😡: are you mad at her for dying? 

😬: imagine you didn’t know she was going to end up dead that night. would you have helped her if she reached out to you? 

😢: did you cry at her funeral? 

😁: are you happy she’s gone? 

👁️: do you ever blame her for the candy girl’s reign? 

 🔪: who do you think killed lux lewis? 

 🔥: if she asked you to commit a crime with her - would you do it? 

💀: if she asked you to help her bury a body… would you? 

⚠️: would you have betrayed her?

😳: did you ever want to punch her? 

[cristianova]

WHO: @alicealder  WHAT: food is therapy methinks WHERE: bowling alley

Cristiano hummed as he took in the menu at the Food Shack. You would think he was ordering at fancy dinner spot. He eventually settled on popcorn...unable to fully trust bowling alley food. When he turned around with his order, he spotted Alice. At a table. All by herself. Cris huffed. Tonight was supposed to be gang-free for Cris. But he couldn’t leave Alice alone...not after the fallout of Candy Girl: Reloaded. He paced toward her and placed his tub of popcorn in-between them. “Don’t talk if you don’t want to. Just eat.” He suggested, pushing the popcorn a little bit closer to the girl. Cris had stood behind Alice in the face of heresay once before...and though this version was a bit more intense...he planned to do the same thing. “Also...if you want just popcorn and no Cristiano, that’s just as valid. But you have to promise me you’re doing alright in that case. With passionate direct eye contact!” Cris stated. 

[cristianova]

spinnerreyes·:

💊

If getting under people’s skin was an art form, Spinner would have put himself up there right next to Mr. Van Allen himself. He watched the shift in the boys face as though he was trying to decide just how to handle his presence, and it only made his grin grow wider. Spinner made a point of turning to face Cris as he leaned his back against the door of the car and pulled his feet up onto the seat of the junker so he could watch the irritation unfold as he went from dissecting his comment about divisiveness to apologizing for trying to settle down the ever growing tension at the funeral. A bomb that was bound to burst from the moment the kids from Cherry Proper stepped in. “Look Pony Boy..” Again with the incorrect movie quotes. “I didn’t mean to disrespect. I’m not versed in political stances and shit. I just call it like I see shit I guess. I don’t really even know who the oppressor is either. You mean Hasim? Hargrove? It’s all the same to me you see.” Spinner chuckled a little at the sound Cris made as he shook his head. “Van Allen that was going to be a shit show from the very beginning. But I thought it was kinda charming and shit that you tried you know? Someone had to say something right?” 

🗽

Cris wanted to agree with Hargrove being an oppressor. But if Spinner was going to repeat anything from this conversation, that part could not be reiterated. “No the powers at play are way bigger than Hasim and Hargrove. They’re symptoms of like...global injustice.” Cris explained. He didn’t want to accept the fact that the funeral was bad news bears from the beginning. He’d take the ‘charming’ compliment however. “I wish the rest of the southside felt the same. Icing bruises with frozen peas was the opposite of charming.” Cris groaned. He was starting to think his words didn’t mean very much. He was starting to think that Rocky was right all those years ago when she called him performative. “I think...if I’m honest...I cared a little bit more about keeping you out of danger than easing the tension of everyone else. I know you don’t need me for stuff like that...” He trailed off.