Firing line

Cindy sighs deeply and looks down at her hands, finally able to compose herself halfway. "Thank you, Rosetta. You're so kind...and I love everyone here dearly....going out really does sound fun, but...it's not the situation that's gotten to me." She bites her lip, hesitating again. "It's...well...last night....Wes, he..." She swallows hard. "He wants to be more than friends, and I...I just don't know..." Another tear trickles down her cheek. "I like him...I really do, but..." She sniffs, unable to finish her sentence.


Jason stares up at Katie weakly, and manages a scoff at himself. "I'm one lucky jerk, aren't I?" His mind has slowed down, making it hard to think, and he's not 100% sure what he's saying. "Yeah, good ol' Katie...knock her down and she comes right back no matter how big of a loser someone is."

Con sprints across the clearing as Katie calls to him. He kneels down on the other side of Jason, getting out the candy bar. "Nice going, Hotshot," he scolds gently. "Didn't give me a chance to finish you off, but you wanted to do it yourself. Way to go." He breaks off a piece of chocolate, forcing Jason to eat it.

Slowly Jason's symptoms begin to lessen as the sugar hits his system. Blinking, he wipes rain from his face with the back of his hand, looking up at Con and Katie. He's not even sure what to say anymore. That morning comes back all over again, yet the anger isn't there anymore. "So what are you guys gonna do with me? Take me out back to the firing line?"