Bingo. I was in juvie, 'n the higher up there sent me here, fed me a line about "potential" or some kaka when he was probably done with me. 'm just waitin' for this place to get tired of me too.

Been here almost a full year now.

Oh, so you're doing the whole rebel without a cause. [ she shouldn't accuse him of being cliche because in her own way, she had some cliches.]

[ He shrugged, and chewed on a mouthful of cheetos before answering. ]

'm just surviving, like I've always done. What're you doing?

Getting away from my control-freak of a father. [ DADDY ISSUES.] He wanted me and my brother to come here to be safe.

Guess that's alright, it's supposed to be the safest place 'n the world right now. [ He didn't sound like he was convinced of that. ]

What's your brother's name, Susan? [ His grin was a little crooked. ]

He thinks it's safer than back home. [ He was getting more and more paranoid and worried that the hunters that killed her mother might find them and now, she's starting to realize that the uprising may have been on his radar, the stories of wolves being taken and...

She rolls her eyes, good-naturedly.] Casey.

Prob'ly is. Where's "back home" anyway?

Isshe as cute as you? [ He managed a wink before, yes you guessed it, stuffing his mouth with more cheetos. ]

We were in Canada before. [ It was almost home before she got sent here.]

He is my brother so... I'm totally not answering that.

Wow, that's lekker. Never been on that side o' the world.

My brother's cute. [ He shrugged. ] Cuter 'n me anyway.

Lekker? [ She's never heard that word before.] Where are you from?

Well, it's up to you whether or not my brother's cute, not me.

South Africa. [ He sucked a bit of orange dust off his thumb. ] Gotta pic o' him then?

South Africa? I've never been there. I've heard it's gorgeous.

[ she pulls out her phone and opens her instagram and shows him this picture.]

What shithead told you that?

[ He giggled, soft and breathy at the sight of the picture. ]

Looks happy. You're definitely cuter, though.

Like every travel blog ever.

[ However, her incredulity fades when he tells her she's cuter.] Well, thank you. You're pretty cute too.

Wonder who paid 'em to write that kaka.

[ He had been frowning, and then she complimented him and he blinked before his cheeks began to turn pink. ]

Oh uh... thanks. [ He was a fucking WRECK and she thought he was pretty cute? He didn't even understand! This school was so strange! ]

Don't believe me? [ she smiles at him.] Or are you the modest type?

I, uh, I dunno... I mean I get told 'm ugly all the way 'til this year then suddenly people are tellin' me I'm cute? I guess I gotta believe it but it makes me wonder what changed.

[ His non-cheeto hand rubs at the back of his neck, while he licks at the orange dust on his other. ] I don't think I look any different.

[ She frowns at that, reaching to brush his hair back with a friendly touch.] You were hanging out with the wrong kind of people, that's all.

Maybe. I dunno. I was in a buncha different schools, then juvie, the only thing they all had in common was they were all in South Africa. Guess I'm just ugly in South Africa?

[ His grin was slight, his blue eyes finally meeting her face again after that touch. ]

Bet you're pretty all over the world.

Or they're all ugly because of that whole beauty in the eye of beholder thing.

[ She drops her hand and moves to eat another cheeto with her cheesed hand.]

I have no idea. I'm just me.

[ Damn. It was almost like they were having a moment there, one where he really wanted to lean in and kiss her- but then she was up on her cheetos again. He bit down on his lower lip and giggled soft and breathy. ]

Hey. [ May as well go for it. ] Wanna snog?

[ At his question, she looks at him blankly for a moment before she--] Snog! Oh! That means kiss, right?

[ When she didn't pull away he continued to ease into it, his lips slowly molding to hers. They parted to move, careful but experienced, then caught her lower lip to gently suck before he released. His grin was crooked when he whispered. ]

S'nice. [ He lightly brushed the unbandaged tip of his nose against hers. ] Real nice, darlin'.