#baronyofthesilverwolf

"Fuck, I gave up on Trig. You know you only need 3 semester credits in math to graduate?"

"Hunh. DIdn't."

"Art's weird but he's smart. Probably gonna wind up making rocket ships or some shit for NASA."

"Yeah, the counselor told ME I could get by with Algebra, geometry, and Statistics. Which can be done with computational math." A smirk there. "That really IS letting the computer do the work."

"Huh, no shit. Well, I'll pull some stuff together. Lemme know when you wanna meet next." His phone bleeps, and he grins. "Coast is clear - I've got a... deal to make."

She flicks a glance at the phone. "Yeah, sure. I'll text you."

He gives her a number. "That's a burner number, but I'll get it." A nod.

"Right, tech-bro. Thanks."

He blinks, considers, decides not to be offended, and nods. "Peace out." He jets!

Trina exhales.

Well, it's a start.

It is!

As she walks back towards the front entry to get Gertrude, she does see Art talking to a short senior wearing a leather jacket with a spray pattern on the back.

She drifts to join Art.

The jacket looks hand done - messy, yet... intentional? It's a cool pattern.

"I don't see what's in it for me. I just have to keep my nose clean for 2 more semesters, then I'm finally graduating out of here." Ted is saying.

"You must admit that it is disconcerting and demotivating to have your source of art denigrated, is it not? Especially if you are on your way out. This may be your final chance to get back at him." Art argues.

The senior looks up, and nods to Trina. "Yo. How's Gerty holding up in the weather?" His own motorcycle is parked not far from where her scooter is locked.

"Oh, she's got fifteen things need fixed, but she's running!"

He grins. "Cool." Looking back to Art, Ted shrugs. "I dunno man. No one likes Birdbrain Blaine, but you just suck it up and move on. I mean, he was probably right, most of what I do IS illegal."

"And he got Karen to stop making t-shirts. And, uh..." A frown.

"My shit got binned."

"No way? Sorry, Trin. He trashed the banner I made for the playoffs, too. Now I put my work where he can't reach it. Here, see..." He pulls up a pic on his phone - before, and after. An ugly alleyway, the brick of the abandoned building covered with peeling paint. After, it's a riot of colors. He even worked a standpipe into the art, making it look like it's part of the picture.

Art frowns. "So you just did that for yourself, then?"

Ted - well, his grafitti signature says "T-BEAR" - gets an offended expression. "You don't know jack, kid. I make shitty areas look better. I risk being arrested for my art, to add a bit of color."

"You're not afraid of cops, but you're afraid of a High School art teacher?" Art responds.

Ted looks taken aback by that.

"Well, that's *^%^(in baller..." Flipping through the gallery.

Hey - she knows that building AND that art! It's the side of the concrete barrier put up around the dumpsters at her apartment building. An old picture, though - months ago. and it got pressure washed off after a few days.

"Pity that one got powerwashed."

Pause.

"You should do it again. Maybe... new landlord... uh.. he might pay you?"

Ted gives her an appraising look. "You think my scribbles are that good? I mean, Blaine is like, a teacher. He might not know shit about who I am or why I do what I do, but he knows what art is. Isn't he like, degreed, or something?"

"Maybe we all care too much about what he thinks. All the stuff he likes is boring."

Art pipes up. "That is precisely what I was trying to say." He sounds a bit forlorn.

Ted cracks a smile. "Yeah, you did, but you made it hard to listen to. Trina, she gets me, you know. Maybe it's the code of the road. Okay. If you put something together, I'll tag it for you. Deal?"

"Deal. Hey - the art show, we break you the night before, give you a big blank space?"

"You got it. Any particular color for the sprays?"

A grin. "Rainbow."

He laughs, and taps his own cropped hair, respect to her bright mop. "You got it, chiquita."

"Cool."

Art is practically quivering with excitement he is holding back, as Ted takes off on his bike.

"That... was... incredible. You just knew what to say." Art beams at her.

"Well, I've known Ted since forever."

"Art has lived here all his life, too." He says, considering. "He... didn't really go out of his way to meet people, did he?"

"Art..." She considers.

"Arty." He clarifies.

"Arty had a really hard road. He was different, and different makes people uneasy. He was a convenient target to pick on."

"And.. he accepted that role. He got it at home, got it at school, and stopped fighting."

"But you were his friend." He smiles a little. "Thank you for that. For keeping him going."

She rubs the back of her neck. "Well, I'm kind of a weird kid, too."

"We all are. But now, we're going to unite!"

"Yeah. We are."

"Is it okay if I'm still not quite sure what we're doing?" A sheepish grin.

"Well, I sure as hell don't."

"I think this whole thing is kinda crazy."

"You saw Blaine. It was a bad news kinda vision."

"Really?' He looks over at her, then gazes up at the greyish, cloudy winter sky. "I thought it felt more... " He drinks off. "I've been studying Soothsay. Did you know that the word 'Ominous' comes from the root, 'Omen'? It didn't always mean something evil or bad. It just meant... something foreshadowed, something to come."