Two

“Okay, that's a little freaky,” Ace said as he looked at the picture displayed on Bastian's computer screen. Ace was a known Doubting Tom, but there was no denying that those were eyes of some kind staring through the bushes.

“A little?” Bastian choked on his Pepsi, putting the can down beside the mouse pad. “Who knows how long that thing was there or what it could have done to me?”

Ace shrugged as though none of that mattered, and it didn't to him. “The point is: you're alive and well.” He pat his friend on the back, then took a swig of his own soft drink. “You and your big, bad camera scared the sucker off.”

Bastian glared up at the blond. “You are such an asshole sometimes.”

“And proud of it,” Ace gloated, puffing out his chest while sporting a smug grin.

“Asshole,” Bastian repeated with a roll of his eyes.

“So, did you tell your mom?” Ace asked, sitting on Bastian's bed, bent over with his elbows to his knees, hands dangling between his spread legs.

“Are you insane? She'd flip!” His mother worried enough about him, he didn't want to make it worse telling her he'd run into some strange beast in Angrignon park.

Ace was quiet for a few seconds before saying, in all seriousness, “I think we should tell her.”

“Would you leave my mom alone?” Bastian huffed.

“For now,” Ace promised. “Anyway, are you gonna do anything about it? You know, aside from sitting here, staring at it and freaking out?”

Bastian contemplated this quietly for a few minutes, then, deciding there really was nothing he could do about it, shrugged. “Forget about it, I guess.”

“There's some crazy animal-thing out there, and you just wanna forget about it?” Ace made it a point to flail his arms melodramatically to get his point across, that forgetting about it was just not the thing to do.

“Okay, you got any better ideas?” the brunet inquired, eyebrow cocked, not in the least bit phased by Ace's exaggerations.

“Print that picture out. We'll go ask around and see if anybody else has seen something like this around town.”

“Or we could just call the cops, or the ASPCA.”

Ace rubbed his chin in thought, nodding. “Yeah, I guess we could.” He paused, then smirked, “but my way's more fun.”

“Your way is also crazy. Even if somebody has seen this thing – whatever it is,” he motioned to the monitor and gave the picture a long, hard stare, “they won't own up to it.”

“Haven't you ever seen Animal X? Tons of people admit to seeing weird-ass animals like this every day!”

“'Cause they're on national television and getting tons of money for it.”

Ace narrowed his eyes on the other boy. “What's your point?”

“My point is: We're not going to go around asking if anyone's seen this thing or something similar and make ourselves look like wandering idiots in the process.”

“But that's half the fun,” Ace protested.

“No.”

---

“If you stop one more person and ask if they've seen anything weird, I'm going to walk away like I don't know you,” Bastian warned as he dragged Ace away from a woman and her toddler. The kid had a look on his face that said to Bastian he'd be having nightmares for a week after Ace's little inquiry. The mother didn't look so well off, either.

“You wouldn't do that to me,” Ace said, jutting out his bottom lip in his best puppy-dog pout.

“I would,” Bastian assured him. “Now leave the passersby alone so we can go eat already.”

“You spoil all my fun,” Ace said, still pouting, now crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because your version of fun is usually harmful on some level to other people.”

Ace cocked an eyebrow. “So?”

“So, I'm usually one of them.”

“It's how I prove my love for you?” Ace offered with a grin.

“Then your love hurts like a bitch,” Bastian laughed as they continued up the busy downtown sidewalks, weaving through the relentless crowds. After stopping at a hot dog stand set up in a small park, the two found a nearby bench to sit down at and enjoy their lunch.

“Hey, Red Riding Hood!” someone called out from behind them, and had he not been wearing a red hoodie, he wouldn't have bothered turning around. He scanned the crowd with one eyebrow curiously raised, and there in the midst of all the commotion was the boy from the reserve, sauntering over to them with a smirk on his lips. Suddenly, Bastian found himself blushing, though he wasn't sure just why.

“Well, aren't you a long way from home,” Ace said, eyebrow cocked as the boy walked around and claimed the far corner of the bench beside Bastian.

He shrugged. “I come into the city now and then to see what's going on.” He then turned his attention to Bastian and cocked his head to the side. “Are you okay?”

“I think you embarrassed him with the cutesy nickname,” Ace chortled, giving Bastian a pat on the back. This only made the smaller boy whimper and slink down lower on the bench.

The Native was smirking again as he craned his neck to get a better look at Bastian's face. “There's nothing cutesy about it.”

“Forgive me if the name Red Riding Hood brings to mind images of pretty little girls with golden curls,” Bastian mumbled.

This made the other boy laugh, though he decided not to press on with the matter, since the brunet was looking dizzy at this point. “So, what are you two doing down here?”

“Just hanging out,” Bastian replied.

“And – ” But before Ace could finish his sentence, Bastian elbowed him roughly in the side and glared, causing the Native boy to recoil some and stare.

“I told you to stop that,” Bastian said through gritted teeth.

“Oh, lighten up, you,” Ace grumbled, rubbing at his sore ribs.

“What was that about?”

“He didn't want me asking you about the weird thing in Angrignon park,” Ace said, grinning and braced himself for another hit, which inevitably came.

“Asshole!”

“What weird thing in the park?”

Bastian sighed and rolled his eyes. “Look, don't make a big deal out of it or anything, 'cause I'm sure it's nothing, but last night in the park I took a picture of something that was hidden in the bushes.”

“Any idea what it was?”

“I vote alien, or monster,” Ace said, raising his hand.

“Not a clue,” Bastian mumbled, ignoring the blond beside him. “I want to just forget about it, but this idiot won't let it go.”

The other boy laughed.

“Hey,” Bastian said before anything more could be said on the subject of the strange animal he'd seen in the park, “we don't even know each other's names, and we're sitting here, chatting it up in the park.”

Smiling, the oldest of the three extended his hand. “My name is Dakota.”

“Bastian,” said Bastian, shaking the offered hand. Then Ace did the same, introducing himself as well.

“It's nice to meet you,” Dakota said to both boys, nodding.

“Same to you,” Bastian smiled before standing and stretching. “Anyway, I'm bored sitting around here doing nothing. We're not planning on doing much, but if you want, you can come along.”

Ace nodded, standing as well.

“I don't want to intrude,” said Dakota.

Ace shrugged. “Wouldn't have offered if we thought you'd be a bother. You seem cool enough,” then he grinned, “but if you lame-out at any given time, you're outta here.”

“Well, in that case,” Dakota grinned right back as he stood and joined the other two as they started their way through the crowds again, leaving condiment-stained hot dog wrappers on the bench for the city to pick up later.

The three spent the remainder of the day spending money on various trivial things that caught their fancy, such as figurines, comic books and a late showing of a movie. By the time the credits were rolling and the trio left the cinema, dusk was upon them.

“I should probably head back,” Dakota said, “it's a ways back by bus.”

“Yeah, you're right,” Ace said, sipping at the remainder of his large root beer. “We'll walk to you the metro station, since we're headed that way ourselves.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

The three said their farewells in front of the station, as Dakota would need to take the train, while Ace and Bastian could make the trip home in one bus ride. Before they officially went their separate ways, Dakota cleared his throat as he backed up toward the heavy revolving door.

“Hey, Bastian?” Dakota asked.

“Yeah?”

“There's this thing a few nights from now at the reserve,” he started, rubbing at the back of his neck, “and I was wondering if you'd like to come?”

And for reasons unknown, before he could stop himself or give the offer a second thought, Bastian said, “yes.”