; cruel summer

[everett howe]

It was finally time for him to see Dunmere. Everett packed up for the weekend and rented a car to make the trek out to the Hamptons. Any anxiety about missing research obligations dissipated with each mile driven away from the city, more excited to finally see Ruby than anything else. They had been chatting since she moved for the summer, setting them both on edge seeming to wait for the other to lose interest. But it didn’t happen, and Everett was adamant about making good on his promise for their first official date…despite having done much else over the last few months. With the semester behind them, months of sneaking around, they could finally relax out in the open together. Upon receiving the invitation to Dunmere, Everett dutifully planned out their date. Beforehand he’d checked with Mirren about any of Ruby’s allergies or dislikes, scoured restaurant reviews of the area, then called for reservations to an Italian place he was sure would impress. After showing up to the Dunmere front door to pick up Ruby (but first meeting everyone in the house, of course, and proving to Mirren that he was not wearing a tie), he whisked her off to the restaurant, anxiety meds barely working to smother the swarm of butterflies in his stomach. It was more amusing than it was strange to pretend like they were getting to know each other for the first time. Everett finally explained his research to her in layman's terms, but other than that he kept the academic talk to a minimum. He asked about how her summer had been, what the GovBall was like, chatted about her history at Dunmere and chatter about her family (and unfortunately Sasha). He shared stories about some of his summers past and what California beaches were like, even offering to teach her how to surf. It was easy, fun, and not without her question game of course. After dessert, they walked around a nearby park and made sure they still remembered how to kiss after their time away. Arriving back at Dunmere, Everett tried to brace himself for the bombardment of curiosities he knew to expect. Still sitting in the car with Ruby, he hesitated to go inside but knew they couldn't exactly sit and steam up the car windows without being noticed. Walking her to the doorstep, knowing they both would go inside and the weekend was about to start, he let a kiss linger before feeling someone stare into the back of his head. “Oh geez, who's looking at us through the window?”

[ruby anderson]

The weekend came faster than Ruby could comprehend. Nerves and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on, brewing in her stomach as she watched the clock. The festival sparked some strange feelings. Frustration and irritation at Colton. Curiosity with Everett. It had been a month since he kissed her goodbye outside that little coffee shop. She’d spoken to her mom, asking but mostly telling her that she’d invited someone out to Dunmere for the weekend. Mel interrogated and as usual Ruby gave only small fragments about Everett. His name, how they met and that he was taking her on a date. Ruby paced her bedroom multiple times in the outfit Mirren helped her choose. He insisted on coming up to the door, a true gentleman and receiving introductions from everyone. Well almost everyone, one particular person was not there when Everett had arrived - Colton. If she had it her way, they would’ve met at the restaurant and done all of that nonsense when they returned. They picked right back up with her silly question game and she loved when they re-introduced themselves, causing a fit of giggles as she sat across from him. It’d been hours now, stealing a few kisses in the park and finally in the car he’d driven out to the Hamptons. Back to reality though as all the lights were on in the house just a few yards in front of them, awaiting her return and beckoning them to come inside. “I feel so full,” Ruby groaned, jokingly holding her stomach as they walked up to Dunmere. “Thank you again,” she murmurs just as he pulls her into her arms, their lips touching as they reached the doorstep. And her stomach drops suddenly. The butterflies she was feeling gone, instead mixing with worried thoughts and..guilt? She pushes out of his arms, almost too quickly when he questions if they’re being watched. “Probably one of Colton’s sisters, I think I hear giggling too, just ignore it,” she rolls her eyes, as her heart rate quickens. Still anxious at what the rest of the evening could entail, now that they were back home. “We can get changed and then go out by the fire? It’s kind of chilly now.” The sun was setting and a breeze brought goosebumps to Ruby’s exposed arms. "Come on, let's go back into the chaos," she mumbles as she pulls open the front door.

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

"I know!" Mirren paces circles in her room at Dunmere, Matt's voice confused on the other end of her phone line. She imagines if she was in another decade she'd be dragging the spiral cord around in circles, tying herself up in the haste to spread the news that her friend had actually brought the guy out to their vacation home. "No..you're serious, Mir? It's Everett? That Everett?" "The very one! He came to the door earlier and everything, was very...formal of him. I forgot about that honestly, just always felt like him and Melissa were in their own little nerd world." "That's...weird. How did they even meet?" "Oh, get this..." She barely comes up for air from the conversation, trying to back track what Matt had missed while he was away at his first camp. One of many this summer, the only damp cloud on the horizon of her time here as she came to terms with how little time they'd have together. Actually, two damp clouds, Colt's immediate hatred of Matt being anywhere on Dunmere's property so out of left field she'd committed to tracking to Amagansett. Well, kind of - she'd likely put up a fight in front of the moms and see if they could overrule him. If Ruby could bring someone for the weekend there was no way her boyfriend of over a year wouldn't be allowed, swearing her FBI agent was pulling the strings of her life as she heard the front door push back open. "They're back, I gotta go. Get some sleep, k?" "You too. Love you, Mir." "You too." She bounds down the stairs with little grace or care, eyeing the pair and a swiftly retreating Adelaide from the window. "Hello, lovebirds," she trills, winding her way toward the back of the house as she plucked a peach from the kitchen. "Fancy some s'mores? I'll force Colt to figure out the new firepit, I think the moms got a new one this year and it's weird."

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

Steam billows out from the shower as Colton stands under the water for the thirty-fifth minute running. He had been doing manual labor today and his body was suffering the brunt, muscles aching, exhaustion setting in. He had gotten back to the house forty minutes beforehand, to the exciting news that he had missed his opportunity to meet Ruby's new love interest. Emilia had told him this breathlessly, describing every detail of the man to Colton, down to the color of his shoes and an imitation of how he had said hello. He was glad to have missed that particular interaction, dreading the one that was inevitably to come.  Giving up on his delaying tactics, he gets out and wraps a towel around his waist with another thrown over his shoulder. It's a relief to have been able to maintain residence in the pool house, an oasis away from his annoying little sisters, Sasha's constant flirting and Mirren's swooning down the phone. As happy as he was to have his friends back in town, he was also craving solitude, overwhelmed by the constant coming and going, offers of snacks, demands to join movie nights. Sat on his bed, he falls back to stare at the ceiling, trying to summon up some enthusiasm.  It takes a while. By the time he's up and dressed his hair is almost dry, flopping down in front of his face, just how he liked it. In one final act of self-service he rolls a joint and smokes it, relishing his last few moments of quiet. "Fuck it," he murmurs to himself, locking up to thwart any plans Addie might have to go prying. He enters the kitchen just in time to hear his name.  "You'll force Colt to do what now?"

[everett howe]

A lot of faces and a lot of names. Everett wears his best smile, the one practiced for conferences and seminars to convince people that he was calm and confident. There would be no avoiding any of this, and if he and Ruby wanted to seriously date, this was inevitable because it was important to her. Grateful that this was not all reversed and she were meeting his parents, Everett stepped into the entryway for a second time with the knowledge that he was staying, this was happening, and first impressions mattered. Usually his favorite annoyance at NYU, Everett was glad to see Mirren as she was his only other familiarity here. “Greetings, human,” he said to her only. Otherwise he entertained small talk (his least favorite) about his drive, chatter about the weather and the area, trying to keep track of the three family trees at play here. Just when he’d hoped to be done learning names, a young man entered the kitchen. Ah, the mysterious third musketeer. “Hi, I’m Everett,” he said for what felt like the hundredth time with a half-wave, lips still tingling from kissing Ruby. There’s a lot going on, any attempt at organization or anticipation thwarted. They had changed clothes and he knew where he was sleeping after briefly touring the house behind Ruby. “Sure, I’d like to see the backyard,” he agreed, enticed by the promise of fresh air and dessert after dessert. “How close is the beach?” he wondered, simply following where the others went.

[ruby anderson]

The house smelled like the capri volcano candle that Mel loved to burn, hoarding about five of them under her bathroom cabinet at home to bring to Dunmere each season. But it was home, and reminded Ruby of all the previous summers as well. Mirren bounces down the stairs just as she closed the front door, greeting them with a large smirk plastered on her face and a title of love birds. Shaking her head and watching Everett interact with Mirren, a softer smiles touches Ruby's lips. The smile falls when Colt appears, just as if Mirren spoke him into existence. She carefully glances between them as Everett introduces himself to the third and final person in the Dunmere forever squad. Her nails scratch the back of her neck, not sure why she was feeling so awkward internally but having that typical poker face she wore so well on the outside. "Mirren was volunteering you to figure out the new fire pit so we could have some s'mores, so pretty please can you?" Ruby speaks to Colton at last, pouting her bottom lip out with her plea. "We'll meet you outside. I'm going to show Everett where he's staying and change real quick."  She makes the tour a quick one, desperate to get out of her date outfit and into something more comfy. Spencer and Ruby were bunking together this weekend so that Everett could have his own space. He's waiting outside of her room when she exits with a sweatshirt and baggy shorts, showing off her tanned legs, always. "The backyard is the best spot," Ruby paints the picture for him, describing their pool and set up as they walk down the stairs back to join the rest. "Very close, we have a gate that leads out to it, the view will be better tomorrow." Colt must not have had any issues figuring out the deemed complicated fire pit, for it's lit and the two are sat around it. "Drinks? Anyone? Since I'm up already," She asks, gesturing for Everett to sit down as she waits to hear what her friends would like.

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

"Ah, just the devil I was looking for." Mirren slings her arm around Colt's neck, trying to drag him down as she bit into her peach. If he was sensitive about Matt being around this had to be a whole next level, Ruby barely blinking twice before announcing Everett was going to stay. Then the house was made aware, then everyone was sent into a whirlwind, the mom's cleaning and Colt...well, retreating immediately to the pool house. She picks up on the haze of weed still lingering on him, giving up on her attempt to pull him to the ground and instead leading him out back. "Got any more of that?" Luckily their moms were all still at a neighborhood dinner and not back yet, the kids having some time to themselves for a few more hours. Mirren stares at the new fire pit, pointing at it as she surveyed their pristine yard. "This. Work your magic." He'd likely already started it up once or twice for guests, Mirren trotting to the outdoor cabinets to check for s'mores supplies. Trying to figure out exactly how to explain Everett to Colt - it was much easier to gossip with her boyfriend who knew the guy than explain to her occasionally temperamental best friend the entire situation. "He's harmless," she starts, pulling down packs of marshmallows and chocolate bark, graham cracker boxes stuffed under her arms. "Maybe he calms Ruby down, I don't know. He's awkward, you'll feel awkward but it's like, in a fine way." At this point he gave her strange, unhip older brother vibes, in a funny contrast to Colt that she'd never really put any mind to until this very moment. Colt was both like her brother and yet...not, dropping into one of the lounge chairs positioned around the fire pit with a sigh as she fished her phone out of her hoodie pocket. "Do you think Sash..." her voice dies when Ruby and Everett step out, eyebrow quirked amusingly at his off-duty look. "High Noon, please, Grapefruit. And rule number one-" she points her finger at Everett in warning. "Any tattling or lectures on us drinking and you are packing your bags."

[everett howe]

His prescription was the first thing he found from his bag when he changed, popping a few anxiety relievers into his mouth and taking a deep breath in the boys’ room. Out of his ‘date’ clothes and into something to lounge in with outside temperatures in mind, Everett was actively trying to remember his way around the sprawling house before the backyard expanded his mental map even more. At least out here it was a little quieter and quainter between the four of them, only really needing to work on getting to know Colton. For now he was happy to trail after Ruby, unsure of how openly flirty they were allowed to be with so many new eyes on them. “Awesome, I can’t wait to see it,” he said excitedly of the beach, far too long since he had seen a proper one. Then again, he was surrounded by a bunch of New Yorkers who couldn’t understand his California heart. He settled into the lounge chair between Ruby and Mirren, feeling buffered by their familiarity, unfortunately aware that anything he did would disrupt their usual trio flow. Instead, it helped to think of himself in a chemistry trio with Mirren and Ruby so that Colt was the odd one out. “I’ll take whatever,” he said Ruby’s way, not much of a drinker to have any type of preference. When a cold can found his palm, he briefly examined the label, wondering if this was the stuff that was killing people at Panera. Mirren’s sharp tongue made him pause and look her way. “I was just dialing the police…” he lied, taking a sip of the effervescent social booster, pocketing his phone. “It’s cool, no judging,” he amended with a light laugh. Surely their parents weren’t so ignorant to their college student children partying over the summer. "I won't even talk about school," he promised, offering up his fingers in a scouts honor. "How's your summer been?" he asked generally, since he only knew about one so far.

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

Colton looks at Everett for a split second, trying to absorb as much about him as he can before he drags his eyes away. "Hi." He has no interest in introducing himself. Instead he goes to the fridge, opening it up and grabbing a protein milkshake Helena had taken to buying him. Mirren's slender arm is soon around his neck and it's a comforting weight, though he doesn't react, chugging the milkshake and trying very hard to tamp down his rising irritation. "Fine." In truth he liked being useful, found his own handiness to be a balm to the uselessness he had felt always being an incredibly privileged boy in an incredibly privileged world. It felt good to be tactile, to be able to work things out, press this, turn that, and ultimately make things happen. He ignores her question. Led outside, he's grateful for a few precious moments alone with Mirren. She starts describing Everett and that pisses him off, waving his hand to try and get her to stop, though she's too busy to see the gesture. He crouches down in front of the finickety fire pit, trying his best to tune her out as she continues on. "Mirren," he says finally, satisfied as a flame flickers into life in front of him, "I'm not interested." Before she can react the couple in question have re-emerged, Colton squinting wordlessly at them. "Anything, I don't care." When Ruby disappears he looks back at the fire pit, carrying out a pretend inspection until she remerges, a High Noon pressed into his palm as he avoids her eye. There's a back and forth about underage drinking and he finally looks at Everett, sat between his two best friends. Spurred on by the topic at hand, he takes his opportunity to ask a question that had been bothering him since he first glimpsed the other boy. "How old are you?"

[ruby anderson]

Ruby hears the tone that Colton gives her, refusing to let it bother her as the rest of the group chimes in and states they were down for whatever. She steps away from the group, running back up the steps and her blonde hair flying behind her. She hadn't even thought of Everett being the only person of age to actually drink, it was such a normality for the three of them. Sneaking drinks from their moms, especially now they were at the age of them turning a blind eye. Most of their favorites stocked in the fridge for each of their likings. She takes a four High Noons out of the fridge, popping her own drink's cap and sipping on it. Hoping that it would take a little bit off the edge, from whatever she was feeling. After a few sips, she's satisfied and carries the unopened drinks in her left hand, very careful not to drop them.  She walks back to the group, drinks in hand and hearing bits of conversation from Everett and Mirren were having. She gives the two of them their drinks, ending with Colton lasting. Ruby tries to make eye contact with him as she places the cold drink in his palm but his eyes meet anywhere but to hers. There was another drop of her stomach.  Her back hits the chair surrounding the fire, the flames touching her cheeks as she looks on to the blaze. She hears the pops of all their drinks as she continues to sip on hers. Mirren had placed the chocolate, marshmallows, and grahams onto a separate chair. Ruby stands, helping herself as the rest of the group stays seated, hand squeezing Everett's shoulder as she looks to the ingredients for s'mores. As she's pushing the marshmallow down the stick, she hears Colton ask Everett the question she'd been dreading - his age. She's quick to give him a dirty look, his refusal to meet her eyes still prevalent as she desperately searches his face that's focused on the fire. Everett begins to speak to him as she brings the stick over the fire. An irritated look persists on Ruby's face as she concentrates on her marshmallow in the fire, not wanting to burn the candy. "Did anyone bring the speaker?" Ruby loved to the be the one to take over the AUX cord. "Mirren and I have been blasting SZA and Cat's Cradle since Gov Ball, so don't worry won't be terrible music from me," She offers as Mirren lifts up the speaker that always seemed to be nearby. Pairing her phone quickly her eyes are still on the candy immersed in the fire, phone connecting with a special 'ding' and Ruby's first song choice coming softly from the speaker.

[everett howe]

From the relatives and the members of the trio, Everett was attempting to discern the roles between everybody. Ruby was happily playing hostess and mediator, tending to everyone’s needs, leading Everett around and refereeing between her two friends. Mirren seemed like the brains of the operation, rational but endearing, likely affecting morale. Colton, on the other hand, he was still sussing out. The brawn, the practical, the objective? Yet so far the monosyllabic boy seemed disinterested in what was going on, Everett catching his brief appraising looks between sips from the drink that landed in his hand. It finally happens, one of two dreaded questions. Everett assumed that Ruby had divulged some details, especially as they were practicing the truth of their story. Mirren knew, after all, and there must have been curiosities when his name was brought up in invitation to Dunmere. Watching the fire pit light up, Everett was skewering a marshmallow when the question pierced the air. It felt like a record scratch—but it needn’t be, as both girls already knew. “I’m a fourth year PhD student,” he answered, wishing that could suffice. But Colton wanted it said out loud: “I’m twenty-five.” Like magic, Ruby was pulling attention and defusing the tension, but she had only provided a musical backdrop. “You were supposed to go to NYU, right?” he decided to challenge, having heard only tidbits of the story, sticking the poker into the fire.

[colton abernathy]

COLTON

Everett answers with his qualifications before he answers the actual question, something that makes Colton suppress an eye-roll. It reminds him of his dad, a man who introduced himself as Senator Colt Abernathy to even passing acquaintances, somehow thinking that shortening his name to 'Colt' would make him more approachable despite his constant insistence on prefacing it with 'Senator'. It's another thing that he's able to immediately clock about Everett, that he came from privilege too. Like himself, the older boy didn't wear it on his sleeve, but it was something so obvious to anyone who could see it. Invisible ink that drenched both of them, revealing itself under the UV light of mutual understanding. "Ah," he says when he gets his answer, offering no follow up questions. Instead his eyes slip to Ruby's for the first time today, his eyebrow raising almost imperceptibly as he attempts to hide a small smirk behind a swig of his drink.  Colton stays standing, the breeze ruffling his fuckboy haircut. Neither of them answers Ruby's question, Colt instead declining a s'more of his own, watching as the others assembled theirs as if it was the most interesting thing on the planet. The question surprises him, prompting a mixed reaction of both bemusement and irritation. Had they been talking about him? When had Ruby slipped that little tidbit in, what had been her intention? "Yeah, that's right." They haven't ever had this conversation between the three of them, Colt shutting it down before it even had a chance to be brought up. So he has to think now, mulling over potential responses. "I got in but decided to give my place up. Figured I was still young, didn't want to go straight into wasting my life away behind books when I had so few life skills. Boarding school problems." He fishes out a packet of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans, shaking one out to his palm. His question comes as a follow up to his thought process from earlier. "Did you board?"

[mirren hewitt]

MIRREN

It never used to be quiet at Dunmere. Still isn't, really, the children always rambunctious and the moms always wandering in the common areas, collecting laundry or wiping down counters, catching up over glasses of wine by the firepit Colt was not coaxing back to life. But sometimes Mirren felt this almost awkward silence stir within her these days, the abrupt shutdown of conversation topics striking a little more swiftly. All she wanted was balance and harmony, the perfect memories they always had here when they were growing up. But that's what they were now, grown up, or at least a little older, and her hands drop dramatically to her hips. "You never want to talk about any-..." she cuts off as soon as the door slides, channeling her frustration into the spread of ingredients in her palms. Mirren arranges them neatly on the platform by the burning fire, feigning interest at her phone until Colt's question whips into the air. Starting already, she thinks begrudgingly, rolling her eyes at the men posturing next to her. If Everett was that serious about Ruby this is what she'd expected, a weird standoff and then general avoidance. What she doesn't expect is Everett to chirp back, dark eyes darting to him wide and wary. NYU was still an unspoken subject between the trio, never having come together to acknowledge it and instead just carrying on like nothing had happened. So it's a dark choice, one Ruby's clearly flustered by as she fumbles for the speaker. Why did she tell him that? What else did she tell him? Mirren isn't sure if she's more curious or more willing to fall back into that awkward silence, typing a melting face emoji to Matt as she grabbed a stick. "Is Lily's new song on Spotify yet? I'm kinda obsessed with it," Mirren finally manages, handing a poker with a fresh marshmallow to Colt to try to diffuse some of the dumb testosterone energy. "Can you do one of those ones where it's not burnt but kinda crispy?"

[ruby anderson]

SASHA

Dunmere was buzzing with the news that princess Ruby was heading on a date. Sasha couldn't help herself when the door bell rang, to stand on the stairs and observe from afar. His name was Everett, he's introduced to the many eager faces that surrounded him before he whisked the blonde girl off on their date. He wasn't what she expected, cute but not the type she pictured Ruby going out with. Sasha had enjoyed watching the chaos that took place amongst the house, mostly Ruby. Something had happened in the last week, after the infamous trio came back from Gov Ball (which of course they didn't invite her to). It was still her top priority this summer to slowly detonate small bombs into that perfect life of Ruby's. Laying it on thick with the flirting to Colt, and trying to strike up any conversation with Mirren. The second was harder than the first, almost as if Ruby's girl best friend could see right through her.  Lounging on her bed, Sasha scrolled through her phone. Ruby and Everett must have returned home because of the noise level downstairs was echoing up to the second level. She rolls from her back to her stomach, biting her lip as she stares at the closed bedroom door. Next comes Ruby's voice down the hallway. Sasha can hear bits and pieces of the conversation Ruby is having with Everett, maybe some talk about a fire happening this evening. She waits a few minutes before she's on her feet, looking out the window. Colton was fiddling with the new fire pit and Mirren was beside him, setting up what appeared to be the making of s'mores. A smirk tugs at her lips as she pulls a sweatshirt over her head. Dabbing her neck with a little more perfume, and fluffing her hair, she heads down the stairs to join the group settled by the fire. Pulling the sliding glass door, Sasha sees Colton. "Hi, hope I'm not interrupting," she murmurs as she stands closely beside him, a cigarette now lit in his mouth. The conversation had gotten quiet when she approached. She enjoys watching Ruby roll her eyes at her sudden appearance, but she's not fighting it. Instead an irritated look was already present on her face. "I'm Sasha, I didn't get to meet you inside." She extends her hand to him, before turning her attention back to Colton. "Feel like sharing one of those with me?" She gestures to the cigarette in his mouth.

RUBY

Handing Everett the poker with her marshmallow, she gives her attention to the music on her phone, queuing up some songs she knew would be liked by all. Ruby heart is pounding as Everett and Colton begin to speak. Her fingers fumble a few times with the speaker, as she's listening to the tone of voice her other best friend takes up with Everett. She's even more shocked when Everett doesn't stand down, her face cringing as the speaker finally pairs and  realizing that Everett exposed the hardest topic for the three of them. One she barely even mentioned to him in full detail, only saying that the plan had been for the three of them to attend NYU together. Which was the truth. "Everett, don't," slips out of Ruby's mouth so fast, as he unveils a private conversation, her head shaking as looks to him. Her eyes bounce back and forth at the ridiculous male testosterone battle taking place in front of her.  It doesn't deter Colton though, as he continues to speak, throwing more questions at Everett.  Ruby keeps her blue eyes glared on Colt, an exasperated look thrown in his direction when their eyes meet again. "I'll try to find the Lily song," she mumbles to Mirren. Taking her poker back from Everett who was keeping an eye on it, Ruby is satisfied with the color of her marshmallow. She's about to pull it out when it suddenly catches fire. "Ugh, no," she blows out the flame, hearing the sliding door close as takes in the burnt portions. There she was, Sasha. Obviously coming to join and making her presence known. She introduces herself to Everett after she makes a comment about interrupting, causing a round of eye rolls from Ruby who was assembling her s'more. Sasha sticks to Colton's side, hearing her ask about bumming a cigarette. "That can't be good for your lungs, you know, with all the dancing you do," she says, pointedly before taking a bite of the hot treat.

[everett howe]

Although Everett had just promised not to talk about school, he could feel the immediate pull to its defense at Colt’s assessment. Wasting his time, no life skills? Despite having secret qualms about the pressure of his educational destiny, it was so deeply ingrained that Everett’s slightly suppressed nervous system still registered the offense. It was rare that he ever needed to defend academia, so immersed in it that it felt foreign to interact with people outside of it…like baristas, cab drivers, secretaries, looking down upon them with the elitist eyes encouraged by his parents. “So, trade school?” he returned with masked amusement, unimpressed. And he smokes? This was too rich. Scoffing at the question of boarding school, the conversation was fortunately suspended by yet another presence emerging: Sasha. “Oh, hi, nice to meet you,” he intoned, unsure if they had already been introduced, already knowing so much about the infamous girl from Ruby. Speaking of, her flaming marshmallow was an apt analogy for what was currently happening. “Here, switch with me,” he chuckled as he traded skewers, “I like the crispy bits.” Assembling the s’more and trying to remember the last time he had even had on, Everett hypnotically eyed the fire, washing down the treat with his canned drink. Leaning over to Ruby, he tapped her leg to catch her attention and hopefully distract her from her nemesis. “Hey, remind me to show you a fire trick later,” he said quietly between them. The air was beginning to turn, and despite the fire he noticed everyone else with their hoodies on. Grabbing his black jacket out from under him, Everett pulled it on and zipped it up to his neck, looking very much like a certain Elliot Alderson. “Go ahead, make the joke. You only get one,” he said to Mirren.