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[Odion Martins]

“If you look better now, you were never a fancy bitch to begin with,” Odi pointed out. Jared like to talk and talk so Odion decided he wouldn’t have to say much of anything to keep Bell’s attention. He didn’t want the spotlight on him anyways, and it was usually Jared who could come up with not only the best lies, but be able to keep track of them.”Because we’re soulless,” Odion said, going along with it. That was a joke Lani had taught him. Wasn’t he clever now?

“Jealous?” Odion asked, tilting the hat forwards slightly so that his face was partially hidden. He thought it was rather sexy and mysterious. His fingertips snagged the price tag and he simply tucked it in. No need to make a scene over things. Pilot Ridge wasn’t a big place, and most stores didn’t have high tech security. It made shoplifting rather easy, but was also pretty boring. But Jared had other things in mind, fixing the obvious another way. “Good luck must be rubbing off on me.” Odion’s eye caught the glimmer of the blade, and he smiled instead of reacting in shock, which was his first instinct. “Where did you get that from?”

Odion looked at Jared surprised. “You’re paying? I thought you didn’t have any money.” Not that Odi really cared that much, he was hungry as well. He disliked the food court, so he turned on the spot and went back to where the truck was parked, assuming Jared would get the hint. They passed a crowd and Odion nabbed a wallet here and there. Might as well, wallets were easy to hide. Odion wasn’t interested in one big thing, but the collection of small things which added up nicely. For now, he was thinking of a great Thai place a couple blocks from here.

Dark eyes passed over the raft. “Done,” Odion said, wondering if Jared would be surprised by the quick agreement. “Now, were you planning on taking that with or without my powers?” The ginger smiled and stepped into the cold air. Nothing like working up an appetite after a good afternoon’s work.

Strolling back to the car, Odion wondered if Jared had told Rhett anything about Kevin, or if Rhett had guessed already. It was a pain in the ass to have to consider that blond again, but as far as Bell was concerned, they were all still friends. Odion thought Rhett was getting the better end of the stick, the one that wasn’t covered in shit. “Do you like Thai?” He asked instead, opening the door and flinging the hat into the back of the truck.

[Jared Bell]

The fact of the matter was that Jared rarely went anywhere without making sure he had a pocket knife on him. It made life so much easier when situations like this popped up. "I've taken to carrying one since we last spent time together regularly. It makes tag removal a bloody breeze." He said with a playful nudge. At least Odion had the good sense to get a hat, it covered most of his head and made his face harder to see, which was always a plus when one wanted to do a little shopping. "But I got this back in Europe already." He said, flipping the knife onto his open palm so Odion could take a look. Smirking he copied his friends tone of voice nearly perfectly. "Jealous?"

"Mate, the last time I had a donated meal I got some poor wanker fired, I'd hate for someone to interfere with my work so why should I interfere with theirs?" Jared replied simply. It wasn't that big of a deal for one part of his life to be lived honestly. He couldn't help himself, as soon as he saw Odion grabbing wallets he had to show up his friend. Timing it quite well he bumped into a well dressed woman and slipped her purse off of her arm and onto his own. He gave his friend a nod and headed towards the exit.

Jared raised his eyebrows. "It'd be easy with your powers, however doing it without them would take real skill. You got to think of the bragging rights mate." He said with a smirk. He was already scoping out the store. From the looks of it the back would connect with the back of the mall. Maybe he'd be able to slide it out that way if he timed it right, or he could even camp out in the store until closing time when everyone was busy counting cash in the front. He looked back to Odion and made eye contact. "I've got a few ideas, and knowing you...well, you've probably got a few as well." He said simply.

They were almost to the truck again and Jared found himself thinking of how he was going to recount his story to Rhett. He didn't want to talk about his home life again today. It had taken him this long to let his demons out, twice in one day was more than he could handle. Thankfully his friends voice interrupted his thoughts. "Sure, but when did you start getting adventurous with your eating?" He asked with a wicked grin. He didn't feel like taking directions, and they were going to trash the truck anyway.

Jared threw the keys at Odion. "Take us away mate, it doesn't matter anyway, she's gonna be a wreck when we're through." He said with a grin. Why not have as much fun as possible before the day was over. He could only hope that Odion knew what he was doing. He had never seen the ginger drive, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. Even if they were going to get in a wreck Odi could always go back. In Jared's mind it was just like a video game.

[Odion Martins]

“I’m sure that’s all you use it for, since you’re such a gentleman,” Odion remarked, knowing that tags weren’t the only items being removed by Jared’s pocket knife. He’d rather not discuss how many women Jared had bedded, but he wasn’t opposed to hinting towards it. Where Bell put his disgusting nature wasn’t Odion’s business, and he didn’t want to know. Odi took the knife gingerly, wondering how Jared felt about having Odi take a prized possession. “So you remembered to bring a knife, but no clothes?” Odion ignored Jared’s other comment, before handing the knife back.

“You’re an all around interference Bell. Why bother not interfering with all of it and just be done?” A thief interfered no matter what part of the chain they stole from. Whether it be the worker or the bosses’ money, either ended in the thief’s gain and the other’s loss. Jared was a selective do-gooder, and that simply didn’t work in the world they operated in. Odion eyed the purse with caution – he didn’t bother with those things, full of different lotions and potions. Besides, a woman was going to notice her massive, turkey sized bag was missing before a man noticed their wallet was gone from their back pocket.

Odi smiled. Right, the bragging rights. Who did he have to brag to these days? He and Lani didn’t discuss their bounty, especially when they were in such different fields. Odion stole without using his powers just to prove to himself that he could. His own determination and stubborn nature were enough incentive. “Want to hear my first idea?” He offered, the thought of stealing something so preposterous long gone from his mind. “Forget about it.” Strangely enough his first idea was also his last.

“It’s not adventurous at all,” he said, righting the situation. There was a lot that Jared didn’t know about him, and Odi would prefer to keep it that way. He had a hard enough time keeping track of everything he had, and more importantly had not, told Lani. The less people knew about him, the better. Catching the keys, Odion gave Jared a horrified look. “You mean, we’ll be dead as well,” he said, tossing the keys back like he was playing hot potato. He’d always wondered what dying was like, but he had no intention of fulfilling that dream today.

His power could stop such a tragedy, but not when he wasn’t focused. “I’ve never driven before...” He admitted, knowing that he was never going to hear the end of it now from Bell. His eyes looked straight ahead, out the windshield and to the streets. He was prepared to give directions, not actually drive them there. "It's three blocks down, then you turn left on Maryland Street, followed by another left down Grove. It's on the corner."

[Jared Bell]

"Well if you want to put a little wager on it then maybe we'll do it without powers and see who can get the bloody thing out first. Seen as how some stuck up bloke doesn't want to share ideas." Jared teased. However he had a feeling that the bet would be accepted, the only trouble would be figuring out who got the first run at it. Maybe they would have to race for the thing. One thing he wasn't good at was forgetting what seemed like a great idea. That played into why he so often found himself in trouble. Really though, how much trouble could stealing a raft cause?

"It's foreign food mate. You're a European no matter what you say. Thai isn't exactly stereotypical cuisine where we're from." Jared said pointedly. Just the look on Odion's face was worth tossing the keys over. They were back in his hands before he could count to three and he made a slightly disgusted face. "Alright mate, if you're so sure you can't drive I guess I'll do my best to keep us alive." Already ideas were forming in his head and Odion might hate him for what he was about to do now. "Should've just taken the easy way and tried." He muttered under his breath as he slammed the truck's door shut.

"Well mate, I'm not a great teacher but you want lessons, just let me know." Jared replied. He started the truck and left the parking lot. However he did not follow any of Odion's directions after he had driven three blocks down. He was headed out of town and was going to teach his friend a few new tricks today whether he wanted to learn them or not. As he exited the town he turned to look at Odion. "Don't worry mate, I won't let anything that horrible happen." At that he punched the accelerator and took his hands off the wheel. "Best you start steering." He said lazily, putting his hands behind his head. He was subtly steering with his knee but Odion didn't need to know that.

"Come on, it's not that hard Odi. Plus it'll make for your future dates being a whole lot more surprising when you take the bloke somewhere he's not expecting at all." Jared said. He knew that his friend did care for people, even if he tried his damnedest to hide it. Really what he was trying to do was tell Odion he needed to take the wheel in his own life, something he had noticed he was starting to do, but Jared wanted to see him in full control. He wouldn't mention that part of the lesson though, not unless it came up casually. For now he would keep looking at speeding down the highway as a simple lesson in driving.

[Odion Martins]

(OOC: So, since this thread happens after the one where I borrowed Jared, I’ll be sneaking in little tidbits from that thread, to give you a chance to actually involve Jared in that plot.)

“That seems just about as brilliant as your other idea. You know, the one that landed you here in America, begging for help,” Odion’s tone of voice had started off sweetly enough, as though he were going to compliment Jared for a such a brainless activity. Odi simply glared at Jared in warning, this kayak idea or whatever was seriously terrible and pointless. “Give me something actually worth stealing,” he said, knowing that Jared wouldn’t actually give him anything but an idea. It was about time the brunet saw this as a sport, rather than simply for fun. And if it was just for fun, he would need to find someone else. Odion needed to keep a low profile, and lately, that wasn’t working out in his favour. Or was Jared so quick to forget their little trip to Boston?

“And what is stereotypical?” Odion asked, raising his brow at Jared. “Do you stereotype everything?” Maybe he did, considering how simple Bell’s mind was. Food and sex, that’s all he really seemed interested in other than the occasional steal. “Well you did a pretty good job last time,” Odion said, content not to drive. So what if he never learned, he didn’t see the point and didn’t want to waste his time. Odion sneered, “The easy way out is letting someone who’s never driven before, drive a car? That sounds like the way to hell.” Literally, because they would die in the process. Jared was just chock full of stupid, moronic ideas lately wasn’t he?

Three blocks later, and Odion was craning his neck to see the town passing. “What are you doing?” He asked in a flat voice, before looking over at Bell. There was no hiding the idea in his mind, Odion simply couldn’t read it. “Half horrible still sounds pretty horrible,” Odi remarked, pushing himself further back into his seat as he eyed the gas pedal. Jared was on a suicide mission and he was taking the ginger with him. Jared was trying to coax him into driving and Odion looked from Jared’s knees still connected to the wheel. He’d have to do better than that if he was going to convince the master of details. “I didn’t ask for a driving lesson!” He sounded as nervous as he felt.

Odion had already taken the wheel in his own life the moment he didn’t go crawling back to Rhett. “Get off the highway right now,” Odion demanded, not moving an inch in any direction, but sitting rather still. Jared was pissing Odi off to no ends at the moment, and time wasn’t in his grasp. He simply couldn’t just make the car stop, get out, and let Jared continue on his merry little way without a student driver. Odion was ready for this, but he was too stubborn to admit this, even though his life could be on the line. “Don’t be fucking stupid!”

[Jared Bell]

So Odion wanted something worth stealing did he? Jared smirked and nodded his head towards the jewellers. “You want something worth it, how about we make a sizeable diamond ring go missing? Sell it on the internet and make a tidy profit?” He suggested. He didn’t have much urge to steal something that he would have to sell because that was one more person who could lead to him getting caught but if Odion agreed he would go for it. All he needed was the smallest push. In some ways he could be manipulated as easily as he liked to think he could manipulate other people. That was his problem with Odion; it seemed like the only way he could convince the bloke to have some fun was to get him drunk. Not that he had a problem doing so, but he would prefer not to have to be drunk to have a little fun with his friends.

“I stereotype some things, but honestly I prefer to let people blow my expectations out of the water.” Jared replied simply. All he was trying to say was that Thai restaurants hadn’t been the most popular type where they were from. Of course the gingerbread man had taken it the wrong way. Not that he could be bothered to try to smooth it over. The next minute of the drive was silent, but he wasn’t about to let Odion just sit there being unable to get himself around. It didn’t take long before the question was raised.

Odion’s tone gave away his feeling far too easily right now. Jared knew he was going to be pissed over this, but he already knew that he intended to teach his friend today even if it meant phasing into the box of the truck. “You’re getting a crash course in driving. Pedal on the right is the acceleration, left is the brake. You’re bloody lucky this thing is automatic. If it was standard I never could have taught you how I plan.” He answered simply. Oh, so Odion wanted him to get off the highway. That was more than okay with him.

Jared veered the truck off the highway and onto a gravel road. It looked like it had been scraped clean enough for the purpose he had in mind. Of course his friend would open his mouth and challenge him even farther. “Fucking stupid hey? You better be ready to grab the wheel mate. This is your life on the line now. You’ve got to start taking control.” At that he pushed backwards in his seat and started to phase through the back wall of the truck. The only problem was that the sudden biting cold caught him off guard and he managed to get his legs stuck, effectively leaving them in the seat. Being stuck was nothing new to Jared but he was half in the cab of the truck and half in the box.

Jared sat up as fast as he could and started banging on the rear window. “My fucking legs are stuck mate! I can’t bloody get out. If you get me killed I swear to God I’m haunting you until the day you die!” He was trying frantically to get control of his power again but he was panicking far too much. His only hope was Odion, who had stubbornly refused to do anything when he was in the truck. Chances were his friend would think this was just one big joke and they would hit the ditch. While he was panicking and banging on the window he managed to kick into his power for a split second. Great, now his hand was sticking through the rear window and headrest. “Take the bloody wheel and sit on my legs. I want to live mate!” He called, willing his legs to slip back with the rest of his body, but it was no use.

Jared closed his eyes as they flew down the road. His life was flashing before his eyes and he wasn’t ready to face that. But nothing was happening yet. By some miracle it felt like they were still on the road. He forced himself to open his eyes and see what was happening. He could barely believe what he saw.

[Odion Martins]

Odion sneered. “You’re bloody lucky I came with you at all today,” he said, but now that Jared had said which pedal was which, Odi was never going to forget it. That’s just how his memory worked, and now that he was in a high stress situation, it would be doubly remembered. While Jared slipped away, Odion panicked and reached for the wheel. “I don’t want to drive this piece of... fucking...” But his voice trailed off as Jared became stuck.

“Oh great!” Odion yelled, scrambling into the driver’s seat, swatting at Jared’s random body part sticking through at the most convenient spots. Not knowing what to do, Odion couldn’t figure out why they were still accelerating until he looked down at the aforementioned pedals. Jared’s foot was somehow pressing onto it, but it was at such a strange angle, Odion was afraid it might snap if he tried to right it. “Move or something!” He screamed as the only picked up more speed.

The snow combined with the terrible roads weren’t helping this first time driver, never mind one of his good friends half in and out of the truck of the man who had cheated on his brother. Odion snarled, since he wasn’t sure whether to cry or scream. He didn’t have time to think it through, and they were about to hit what looked like a nice fluffy pillow on the side of the road. He could only hope Jared managed to get himself out of the truck in time.

Spinning the wheel slightly as he tried t avoid the snow drift, the truck was suddenly turning completely sideways. Odion tried the brake pedal, but this only served to make them spin around in a tight circle. He grit his teeth, and all he could remember before hitting the ditch, was how he’d be the one haunting Jared.

---

Groaning, Odion shook his head, and then groaned again. That was a bad idea. Looking at the steering wheel, he noticed a dark mark near the top of it, he touched his forehead. But that wasn’t the only spot that was bleeding on his head. The driver’s side window was also a bit ruined, or rather, smashed out completely. Where were the fucking airbags on this contraption? And then he remembered the reason why he was driving a car at all. “Bell?”

[Jared Bell]

"I'm bloody well trying!" Jared shouted back angrily. As usual his stroke of genius had managed to land him into hot water. He certainly hadn't anticipated getting stuck but at least Odion would learn to drive this way. He put every bit of concentration he had into moving his foot off of the accelerator but it wouldn't budge. After what seemed like an eternity he managed to pull his leg back an inch before he lost control of his powers again. Hopefully some classes and training at Hammel would help him with these episodes. For now he was just glad to feel that his foot was off of the accelerator.

Jared's eyes widened when he realized why Odion was screaming. He closed his eyes and concentrated, envisioning himself slipping through the truck and down onto the road. It was going to hurt, but it was a much better alternative than being stuck in the thing as it flew into a ditch. The moments of peace helped him achieve something and he felt his hand slip free from the window and he quickly pulled himself into the box of the truck. Crouching low, he was going to try to resume control of the vehicle. At least that was what the plan was, however it seemed fate had other plans.

Watching as Odion spun the wheel, Jared clenched his teeth. This was going to hurt. The truck turned sideways and he knew exactly where they were going. He tried to jump the cab of the truck but the roof caught his legs and he went tumbling into a bush. He only got one word out before he hit the ground. "Dammit." he was cut short as he lost consciousness. The world faded to black and he lay there in the snow.
”
Jared heard a pained voice gently calling his name as he came to. "Over here mate." He groaned from the snow covered ground. He could tell already his face was covered in scratches and his legs were going to be bruised from where they had hit the top of the truck. As he pushed himself up he also found his right arm was pretty sore from slamming into the ground. Miraculously nothing was broken. He hobbled over to the truck and leaned in the window. "Sorry, I made a right mess of this one." He muttered as he looked his friend and the truck over.

The truck still looked drivable so hopefully it wouldn't end with a long walk back to town. "I'll push, you put it in reverse and press the accelerator in time with the pushing." He groaned as he walked to the front of the truck. He had gotten them into this mess, it was only fair he did the hard part and got them out.

[Odion Martins]

Through the broken window, Odion could hear someone calling out to him. At least the truck wasn’t flipped over, and the seatbelt had kept him in place. Unbuckling himself, Odi bit his bottom lip as he willed tears to stay behind his eyes and never, ever make an appearance when Bell was around. There were going to be bruises down his chest and left shoulder.

“This wasn’t my idea of ruining Cameron’s truck,” Odion said, letting the name slip without much thought as he pushed against the door to get out. “No,” Odi said upon hearing more instructions from Bell. Instead, he opened the car door and fell out, literally into a heap on the ground. Maybe the truck was still drivable, but Odion wasn’t going to touch the stupid thing. Besides, he didn’t have any idea was Bell was saying, accelerating in reverse and all that seemed like another bad idea.

“We’re just going to sit right here until my fucking headache dies, and we’ll go back in time and never leave Hammel. Got it?” Odion stayed on the ground, now laying face up to look at the grey sky which reminded him of Lani’s eyes. He glanced over at Jared, and his head felt like it was going to pop off. “I’m going to kill you,” he said quite seriously, before looking back to the sky.

[Jared Bell]

Jared stood taken aback for a moment. He shook his head and muttered under his breath. “Are you fucking kidding me? I like that guy.” He wasn’t about to let Odion know that he had actually hit it off with Cameron upon his arrival though, doing so in this state would only provoke him. Although Odion hadn’t exactly been honest about whose truck it was so maybe it would be worth it in this case. After being torn about it he decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. After all he didn’t exactly have many friends in Pilot Ridge yet, so having one mad at him was one too many.

“Fuck that. I’m every bit as sore as you are. You can tough it out and continue on this bloody adventure.” Jared said, more pointedly than he had intended. He let himself fall onto the ground beside Odion. That’s when the snide comment from his friend reached his ears. “The hell you will. If you’d just taken my little life skill lesson seriously from the start then you’d be bloody thanking me now for teaching you a new skill. That’s your problem mate, you’re so afraid to be spontaneous. Life isn’t meticulously planned out.” He said heatedly, becoming more passionate as he spoke.

“Are you going to fucking say something?” Jared asked after a moment of silence. Odion had gotten him started and now he had better finish it. Shaking his head he got up from the ground. “I’ll get the damn truck out myself. I’m not going back in time. I’d rather take the beating I get as a lesson.” He kicked some snow at Odion and gingerly got into the driver’s seat of the truck again. He got it started again and pushed the gas to the floor. It was rocking, but he wasn’t getting it out without a helping hand.

[Odion Martins]

Unable to hear anything Jared might have said as blood rushed through his head, Odion could only make a pained face as he tried to regain consciousness. Well, at least he would know now more or less how Lani had felt a couple weeks ago. Not that Odion had never been knocked out before, but he was getting tired of all the head injuries.

Continuing to stare at the sky as Jared spoke, Odion couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Him? Planning? What was he, Lani? No, Jared was not telling him to not-plan, that was what he did already. Still deciding not to say anything, it was then and there that he remembered how much words could hurt, even more than the physical pain he was feeling now. It was that which spurred him to sit up after Jared left, a light dusting of snow covering his body.

Odion would be glad to give him a helping hand alright. Getting up off the floor, Odion went straight to the driver’s side, his eyes malicious. He opened the door and grabbed Jared by the lapel of his new jacket, dragging him out of the car. “You? You think you can give me a life lesson?” He pushed his friend into the snow, the truck still running as he stood over him. “I don’t even know why I’m helping someone as dense as you, Bell. You never learn!”

[Jared Bell]

Jared simply took the silence for being ignored. He continued trying to get the truck out, but he knew it was no use. Maybe if Odion would get off his ass, they’d be able to get somewhere on this little misadventure. In his frustration he punched the steering wheel squarely, making the horn go off. “God damn it!” He screamed. This had all seemed like a good idea initially, but like most of his plans it had managed to go flying off of the rails and explode into a ball of flames. It was usually his quick thinking in moments like this that managed to derail everything and cost him more than he was willing to play. He liked to gamble but real friendship wasn’t something he would ever want to piss away.

He felt himself being ripped from the driver’s seat and thrown into the snow. Apparently he had touched a nerve of Odion’s. Jared knew just how harsh Odion could be, but he wasn’t ready for it today. Not after they had both shared a part of themselves earlier. Tears were threatening to come if he didn’t do something soon, and he wasn’t about to give Odion the satisfaction of seeing him hurting. He knew full well that Odion’s power wouldn’t be working right now, and he was going to enjoy being on even ground for this. “I’ll show you fucking dense when your face goes into the bloody truck.” He muttered. He was on his feet; Odion had provoked a part of Jared that hadn’t been there for a long time.

He drove his shoulder into Odion’s stomach. He backed off for a moment to see what kind of damage he had done. His rage wasn’t gone yet, and he found himself taking a swing for the time turner’s face. “You’re every bit the same piece of shit that I am.” Jared said angrily. He kicked at his friend and slunk against the side of the truck. His head was in his hands, and he was already regretting what he had done. The tears that he had been hiding came to the surface. His eyes were glistening and his voice was shaking when he tried to speak. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry.” He repeated over and over. He genuinely regretted everything that had happened.

Jared was interrupted a lot sooner than he had expected, and the next thing his body was falling towards the snow. He rolled over and tried to fight back, but he knew that it would sort itself out fastest if they both got it out of their systems. It was going to be a right pain in the ass to explain this one to Rhett if his ESP caught wind of the situation, but that was the least of his worries right now. He had the feeling that they were both to the point of wanting to fight for their lives.

[Odion Martins]

Whatever had been said before had been tucked away in Odion’s mind. He meant what he said then just as he meant what he was saying now. If Jared wanted to share his saddest story, Odion would listen. If Jared wanted to act high and mighty, Odion would be very willing to take him down a few notches. Sentimentality would not make up for what was being done right now.

Suddenly he was losing his breath as Jared’s shoulder knocked the wind out of him. Odion stepped back a few paces as more Jared threatened to hit his face, the one place that was already hurting along now with his stomach.

“So what makes you think you can tell me what to do?” Jared kicked at him and Odion wondered how big the bruise just below his knee was going to be. He was surprised it didn’t cave in the wrong way. The apology went unheard as Odion once again shoved Jared into the snow.

Odion straddled his friend and pegged him in one shoulder with a punch, then the other. “My life’s already in danger, I don’t need you fucking that up.” Odion spat, like there was no such thing as calm. It was easy not to think about what he was doing when he thought he could trust Jared.

[Jared Bell]

“I don’t bloody well think I can tell you what to do. The only reason I’m comfortable in my own damn skin around you is because I see you as an equal. You’ve more respect from me than you could imagine.” Jared spat out. He was feeling worse and worse about the damage that he had done to his friend. He didn’t even put up a fight as the ginger shoved him down into the snow. The sudden coldness of the snow was enough to stop his blood from boiling any further. He felt like a monster even though he knew Odion had pushed each button deliberately.

Jared didn’t even try to bring his hands up to defend himself. He just rolled with the punches, and the second one connected squarely with his jaw as he shifted from the force of the first one. His head slumped back into the snow and he was having a hard time focusing now, but Odion’s words kept him there. “You think I like being the resident fuck up? The dumbest thief you know? You think I like needing you two to bail me out. It was clear you two didn’t give two shits before I came to America and inconvenienced you. You think I don’t fucking get it? I’m one big fucking joke. I don’t try to screw it up. It just bloody happens!” Jared said back, as calmly as he could. He was fully expecting another blow. Chances were that after this little episode there would be more mutual respect. Either that or the relationship would be fractured beyond repair.

Jared tried to worm his way out from under Odion, but he knew he was only getting away when Odion decided to let him go. He gave up quickly and let his pounding head fall back into the snow. “I’ll do whatever it takes… I don’t want to be like him to you.” Jared said simply. He could see the animosity between Odion and Rhett, and he wasn’t going to disconnect himself in that way. He was a good friend, and he didn’t realize that he hadn’t screwed that up yet. He felt like trash but he hadn’t given up, and that was more than he could say for a lot of other things in his life.

[Odion Martins]

“If you would’ve let the stupid driving lesson go, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” It was high time he started to feel a little less comfortable around Odion. Things were getting too close, where Jared thought he could do whatever he wanted and Odi would always support him. The truth was, Odion had been afraid to drive, and Jared had gone ahead with the plan in his head.

Jared winced, expecting another blow, but Odion had stopped the attacked and had sat back slightly, just watching his old friend. He swallowed hard, and looked around at what they had been reduced too. He felt fairly stupid now too, and the truth was, Jared wasn’t all that dumb, he had just been caught doing something dumb. They all did stupid things, and he was right, neither one of them were better than the others.

At least the brunet had humility, something neither of the other two had.

“Please,” Odion said, shifting back to stand up slowly, “don’t flatter yourself.” He reached out his hand to help Jared up, ready to call things a truce. The things Rhett had said and done, and more importantly the things he hadn’t done, were what made Odi despise him. Jared would never be on the same playing field, but Odion didn’t want to explain those details to Jared.

“Let’s just leave the truck here,” Odion suggested, crossing his arms in front of her, unwilling to apologize.