skin it

cam. formerly not a greaser.

[camdenclaymore]

Cam: No problem except I told him to sit on it for longer than 10 minutes before he started trying to hit you up. Cam: Didn't want him wastin' your time.

[smokingaceschw]

Ace: Yeah I'm sure thats all you didn't want

Ace: No faith in your boy?

Ace: I ain't goin' easy on him. I don't wanna hear shit from you about it, we clear? If I do you'll make it worse.

[camdenclaymore]

Cam: Opposite, actually. I think he's gonna be a star pupil. Cam: Almost sounds like you don't got no faith in me. Cam: I know how this shit works, man. I don't want no favors. He's gotta earn his place the hard way same as everyone else.

[theduchampboy]

He knew what would happen if the greasers let him in - the jumping in part he got, and he vaguely remembered when it'd happened to Cam, even if he'd tried to hide the aftermath playing in Arden's makeup bag. It was how to broach it with Ace he wasn't so sure about, who still scared the shit out of him even if he didn't hate him like he used to, and Trevor's mouth had a habit of getting him in trouble. "Just like that, hey I want in? He's gonna fuckin' laugh at me, man." Trevor choked out a laugh at the thought of it too, shaking his head while he took a swig of beer. "Y'know if we get to that you might need to take it easy on me, not 'cause I can't handle it or nothin' but-," his lips twitched up, a telltale sign he was about to say something real stupid, "What if I think it's hot?"

[camdenclaymore]

"Well, that closes that door. If you're too scared of Ace laughin' at you, you're not gonna make it past initiation. All he ever does is laugh at me." Cam dusted his hands together as if it were a job well done when he knew it was far from over. Now the can of worms had been opened there was no way back. "Honestly I'm gonna do my best to be out of the fuckin' country on that d–" Cam caught Trevor's smirk right as he spoke, expression falling deadpan in the type of way that meant he actually found what he'd said pretty funny. "That's one way to get yourself a decent nickname from the start. Everyone'll be out here callin' you T-Boner 'cause you got hard gettin' your ass kicked."

[camdenclaymore]

Cam: Right. Didn't realise I had to tell you when my friends have stupid ideas. Cam: Let me guess, he asked for a sign up sheet?

[smokingaceschw]

Ace: You're real fuckin' close to attitude that I ain't gonna deal with.

Ace: He said you knew so fuck is your problem?

[camdenclaymore]

Cam: No problem except I told him to sit on it for longer than 10 minutes before he started trying to hit you up. Cam: Didn't want him wastin' your time.

[smokingaceschw]

Ace: I gave your boy Trevor a ride.

[camdenclaymore]

Cam: Right. Didn't realise I had to tell you when my friends have stupid ideas. Cam: Let me guess, he asked for a sign up sheet?

[smokingaceschw]

Text || Cam

Ace: You got somethin' you wanna tell me? @camdenclaymore

[camdenclaymore]

Cam: No? But if you're asking, there must be something you want to know.

[theduchampboy]

Trevor got caught up in their make-believe talk sometimes too, whether it was taking off in the car and never looking back, driving 'til they ran out of gas, or some distant future where he had a race horse and a hot tub and every other exorbitant thing they could think of. Panic made it feel in reach for a bit, their winning ticket out, but with hindsight he saw that for what it really was, Rosewood giving them a long leash and then yanking it back. "Oh yeah no fuckin' way," he agreed, with the conviction of someone who'd rather be dead than end up like his dad. "So, uh- I'm not goin' to Ace, I swear, and I'll let you know if I do, but... Do I just ask him? How's that gonna work, 'cause it feels like I might just piss him off."

[camdenclaymore]

Cam had half a mind to lie to Trevor, to make up some impossible ritual that one had to go through to even get close to being considered for the gang. The only reason he reconsidered was because he meant it when he said he didn't want to end up like Ace, getting off on controlling everyone around him. He wanted to be Trevor's friend, not his minder. He wanted to trust him, not live in perpetual fear of him taking a running jump off the deep end. "Yeah, you tell him you want in and he'll decide whether he wants to give you a shot. If he says yes, then he decides when you get jumped in. Maybe you get to know where and when, maybe you don't. And if you're real lucky, he doesn't join in."

[theduchampboy]

The two of them spent a lot of time not mulling over what ifs, but just thinking about what life might be like if the odds weren't constantly stacked against them. They talked about a lot of shit, like killing his dad, or getting a horse, or killing Cam's brother (running theme there) — it was all just talk. Deep down he figured they both knew this path they were on was unavoidable. "Y'know stopping me's just gonna make me want it more," he joked, half-heartedly. "It's different than we thought it was too, isn't it. Not so black and white. And you're still goin' to law school, that's not nothin'." Dev and Greg would make it, and he was about to point that out until he realized it wasn't what he meant, there was never a doubt that those two would turn out fine. He sat with that a second then shrugged, "It was never gonna be us, man."

[camdenclaymore]

The issue they'd come up against was that Cam had allowed hope to creep into his peripheral. A mistake, he should have known, but it was too late. He'd let himself think he could wrangle his way out of the grasp of the South Side, even seen it happening in real time... until it caught up to him, of course. Truly he'd thought he would never stop fighting it, but his resolve was wavering. He was tired, he was sick of living with his jaw clenched. He wanted so desperately to be one of the good guys but the whole world was already convinced he wasn't, so why continue to waste his time fighting it? "It's not nothin'," he repeated, almost like a mantra. As much as he hated having the trust fund brats whisper about him being a greaser, he couldn't imagine they were doing much better in a moral sense. He just wasn't so great at fraud and blackmail. "Fuck," he hissed, knowing in his bones that Trevor was right. "Okay, yeah... but we ain't ever gonna be our old men, at least. Let me have that light at the end of the fuckin' tunnel."

[theduchampboy]

"We all do," he mumbled back with a shrug. They could feel sorry for themselves all day, complain about what shit cards they'd been dealt, and it wouldn't change anything. Trevor wasn't set on anything yet, it was just an idea that'd been put in his head, and maybe even one that'd been creeping up on him for a while now, ever since that night with Ace and his dad. "What if I want it? And it is my choice." Why he wanted it exactly was something he was still working out, whether that was being part of something bigger, or just because it was something to do. "I am. I'm not gonna run off to Ace or jump into somethin' on an impulse, I promise. I'm just thinkin' about it is all."

[camdenclaymore]

Cam could only blame himself for Trevor's flipped interest in becoming a greaser. During their childhood they'd spent endless hours talking about how they'd never be like that, how they were better than the bloodthirsty monsters in the gang. "I can't stop you. That'd make me just as bad as Ace," he shrugged, though his body language made it clear enough he wouldn't want to let it slide. "Look, fuck, I just... I thought things were gonna be so different for us. Now we're exactly where we would have been when we were ten years fuckin' old. What was the point of fighting so hard this whole time if I just ended up caught up in this shit anyways, y'know? Was at least hoping one of us would make it."

[theduchampboy]

"I've looked at him," he admitted, though he couldn't say that was his type - too pretty. The way he saw it Trevor didn't have a whole lot else going for him. He had a college degree but no clue what to do with it, with just the loans he'd cleverly taken out in his father's name to show for it. And once the old man inevitably kicked it, choking on his own vomit probably, like Cam predicted, who knew what sorts of problems he'd inherit. It was far from rock bottom but close enough to entertain joining a gang, apparently. "Easy, been takin' punches my whole life." He finished off his beer and reached for another. More than the Chadwells or other big names on the north side, Rosewood revolved around Ace- of course he had business everywhere. Where someone like him possibly fit in to that he didn't know but they never thought Cam would get so involved either. "You do it. You think I'm better than you? Look at my lawyer dawg." He wasn't dismissing him at all, but it was hard to take his scare tactics seriously when he considered who was talking. "What else am I gonna do?"

[camdenclaymore]

Cam had been waiting for this day, fearing the moment. Technically he didn't have a leg to stand on; Trevor was right, he was part of Ace's gang, so why couldn't anyone else be? "I think you deserve better," he said, quieter, not trying to argue. "I didn't have a choice, man, I don't want this. Honestly I'm only still in because I'm too chicken shit to get jumped out, because getting jumped out is worse than getting jumped in and I'm not trying to have every bone in my body broken because Ace knows he can't show me no mercy for leavin' in front of anyone else. I–" he stopped, knowing he was never going to change Trevor's mind if he'd already made it up. "Just think about it real fuckin' hard, man."

[theduchampboy]

"Shit he's gay too? I thought you were the token." His nose scrunched up, "Why the hell would she tell you all that- actually why would either of 'em tell you that, fuckin' nasty." He shook his head, nearly choking on a mouth full of beer as he tried to knock the mental image he'd unwillingly conjured up out of his system. It made him forget about everything with his dad for a minute at least, a brief flash of gossip-fueled distraction. Trevor didn't say anything about the look Cam gave him, just nodded and quietly sipped his beer, wheels turning. "And what if he did," he wondered aloud. though he anticipated Cam would shut it down immediately, and he raised his hand before he could cut him off. "Humor me a sec, okay. What if Ace.. recruited me or whatever, and I said yes. What would that look like and.. would it be the worst thing."

[camdenclaymore]

"I mean, look at him. He's too pretty," Cam said, obviously grasping at straws, but still too convinced that Ace was up to something to see what was right in front of him. If that wasn't a sign he was traumatised... At the very least it was keeping them entertained. He'd opened his mouth to tell Trevor it was never going to happen while he lived and breathed, but he got cut off and sighed, figuring there was no harm in playing make believe. It wasn't like he hadn't set the standard by getting his ass signed up anyway. "Well, we'd all have to beat the shit out of you first. Then if you survive that... depends what he wants you for. Dude's Rosewood's Pablo Escobar, he's got shit goin' on everywhere. Maybe straight dealing, maybe enforcing... y'know, debt collecting, retaliating against threats, that kind of shit. Yes, it's the worst thing because it's criminal and you're better than your waste of oxygen father, Trevor. Ace'll make you hurt people because he knows it'll get to me and you ain't no pawn, man. I mean, fuck, Polo keeps some guy's finger in their freezer as a trophy."

[theduchampboy]

Though his reputation as the crazy Duchamp boy still preceded him, Trevor didn't carry his anger like used to- he wasn't explosive. Probably because he'd found other outlets, like throwing shit and breaking things, and he was still reckless as always, but for so long he wasn't honest with himself, about who his father was. It made him resentful, towards his friends with normal parents, towards anyone else who didn't have to put up with the shit he did. He paused for a second, lips pursed as he tried to make sense of that information but no, he really couldn't. "You sure? I thought it was one of his friends, uh, Arden's old neighbor. Marlo? Yeah he comes by the shop sometimes, picks her up on his bike." Or maybe it was Ace and they had some weird agreement where one of his buddies looked out for her and gave her a ride home, he didn't know. Who Arden did or didn't fuck wasn't really any of his business... except when she made it his business, by doing it at their place of employment, and Trevor had to walk in on the aftermath. "Wait," he circled back to something else Cam said, "You think Ace wants to jump me in? The same Ace who still calls me Trenton?"

[camdenclaymore]

At least this time around they seemed to be talking each other off the ledge of an outburst. Hashtag growth or whatever. That being said, Cam was still thinking about the logistics of how much water and asparagus he could safely consume between now and when they scoped out the Duchamp house the next day. Old man Duchamp's bed was never gonna be the same. "Marlo? No way, he don't do chicks... And I already talked to Ace about it. Tellin' me all about how he fucks her brains out, which she corroborated by saying her brains were scrambled. He's up to something, man. I can feel it." Cam paused mid sip to give Trevor a deadpan look, knowing he'd said too much now. "He gave you a nickname, means he likes you. I mean, it's a shit nickname but he ain't that funny anyways."

[theduchampboy]

"I know," he said back, matter of fact. There was no doubt in his mind that Cam had his back like that but again he'd never ask him. If there were a situation where they ran up on his dad and just beat the shit out of him again, however... He had Trevor's full permission on that one. "Yeah? Maybe tomorrow, I got some shit of mine I wanna take back anyway, but I'm done thinkin' about him for the day." He took another swig of beer then made a hard pivot in conversation, "You know Arden's been fuckin' someone in the stock room at work? Least I think it's her, cause it ain't me and it ain't Pete, so..."

[camdenclaymore]

Cam took a long gulp of his beer in an attempt to find zen. He'd always been angry but had never let it control him, though Trevor's dad sure did like to hammer the button. It was just one of those moments that made him wonder when they'd ever catch a break– because that's what it had always been, them as a collective. Whatever one of them felt, they all felt, and Cam had always been most vigilant of their most volatile limb. "Jesus fuckin–" He shook his head, every minute of his life aging him ten times faster than anyone else, he was sure of it. "It's Ace, bro. He's done that weird hypno shit he does to lure people in. She thinks she can change him or something, I don't know. I was out here too busy worrying about him jumping you in, and he's snatched her up instead. Next he'll try and woo Greg or somethin'... Weird mind game bullshit..."

[ardenatkins]

"I'm liking my chances right now. I don't have any controversies following me this year. And one of the girls in our circuit got caught up in some drug scandal so the other girls found an easier target." She wiggled her brows as she caught him up on all the gossip, knowing he found it all entertaining. "I mean most of my sponsors think i'm too much of a liability after all that Panic shit so they're out. But it's fine. I did it on my own before, I can do it again." She shrugged. "You're coming to my first show, right?" She pursed her lips, biting her tongue to keep from discouraging his resolve since he seemed pretty on walking down this path with his brother. It wasn't her business to get involved but as his friend she worried. She had seen her mom go down a similar path with her dad and was now dealing with the fall out of that choice. She could only hope that was able to make the call to pull back if he had to. "You say it like quitting is such a horrible offense. Sometimes taking a step back and realizing there's nothing you can do in certain situations is stronger than trying to win a losing battle." She reached out to grab his hand and give it a light squeeze. "I'm not saying don't be there for your family. It's great that you're building a relationship together. I'm just saying be careful, like you told me." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well it's kinda hard to form a lot of thoughts when they're getting pounded out of you. Seriously, i'm sure my brains are like scrambled eggs right now. But i'll spare you the details. I am happy though. Maybe a little too happy for my own good. How about you? Still locked down as ever?"

[camdenclaymore]

"You know I could Tonya Harding someone for you? Not in a busting kneecaps way, but I could inconvenience your enemies." Not that Cam didn't think Arden could wipe the floor with all those girls easily in a fair competition, but it was never fair when people with money were involved. "You need sponsors?" Cam nodded thoughtfully, believing that she could do it alone but hoping to god that doing it alone didn't mean taking money from Ace. Sleeping with him was bad enough, but owing him money was the worst thing anyone could do. "I'll be there whenever you want, of course. I'm still head cheerleader." At least he wouldn't have to worry about seeing Ace there because there was no chance he'd be caught dead at a pageant. Dude had a reputation to uphold at the very least. He looked down at her hand squeezing his, then back up to smile and nod, silently promising to be careful. "Excuse– oh, that's gross. Be happy but like, away from me you freak," he rocked his shoulder into her to nudge her away, grimacing at the concept of his brother fucking his best girl. The amount of internal peace he had to harness not to outwardly gag... "I am still with Greg, yes." Realising he sounded kind of vague, not exactly used to talking about it, he loosened up, "I mean, of course I'm happy. I can't imagine my life without him. He's just... the reason for everything."

[theduchampboy]

"Didn't want you to do it anyway," he said just as serious, in case that wasn't clear already. It wouldn't make Trevor feel any better, knowing his best friend crossed that line for him. Maybe he had already, with the gang, and it'd just be another day at work for him, but he doubted it. Ace had his issues but he couldn't see him going that far- it seemed like there were still some things he wanted to protect his brother from, if he could help it. Watching Cam and his brother's relationship evolve might've given him a little glimmer of hope too, as he went from someone Trevor regularly said he wanted to kill, much like Cam talked about his father, to someone he oddly enough really respected. Ace was complicated though, and his dad was just a piece of shit. "He'll be away from me," he offered, as an alternative bright spot. At least he could be sure of that. Even if he'd kept his word on leaving him alone these past few years there was always the sneaking feeling that he'd get bold and show face. "Yeah?" He took a long gulp of his beer, considering. "I wouldn't be mad at that… Fucker just asked me for money, you think he's got shit worth stealin'?" Truthfully he couldn't remember the last time he'd made it farther than the living room of his house since he moved out, and so maybe his old man did have some doomsday level stash at the back, and Trevor shrugged, "We could drop by though. See for ourselves."

[camdenclaymore]

"I would, though. If you wanted." Sure, he was certain Trevor would never get to that point but he'd be damned if he didn't lay it on the table. He was ten toes down for his boys, and in that moment he wondered if he were becoming more like Ace by the minute. Every day was a headfuck as he bounced between calling it reconciliation and being convinced he was being gaslit into thinking his brother was any different. Mostly he just found a tiny bit of jealousy still lingering that Ace had been the one to save the day the first time around, as if Trevor hadn't considered him good for it. "Who gives a fuck? I'll shit on his pillow if he don't got nothin' to take."

[theduchampboy]

Life had been mostly uneventful for Trevor as of late- a little boring, sure, but he wasn't worried about how he'd have to cheat death next, like he did with Panic, or about seeing his dad, and if he'd get out of that unscathed. Boring wasn't so bad when it meant he was surviving, managing more than most ever thought possible of them. The bar was low but he was still still clearing it at least, proving he could be more than just his father's son, that he wasn't destined to end up just like him. "Nope, not my problem. That's what I told him." Retaliation for that was what worried him, that once his father weaseled his way out of jail (and he likely would) he'd come back with a vengeance, eager to teach his disrespectful kid a lesson. He walked right past Cam and snatched the six pack from him, heading into the kitchen with it. "Yeah but then you wouldn't get to kill him," he joked, tossing Cam a beer after he'd grabbed one for himself. Sometimes he wished he was dead, wondered if it'd be easier to mourn what their relationship never was instead of the alternative, wondering if he'd change. "Some time'll probably be good for him. He can stop drinking, get into a routine. Read a book."

[camdenclaymore]

Cam hated seeing Trevor at the mercy of his father's bullshit, always had. Much the same as it had always been between all of the boys and their respective troubles. There was never much they could do aside from taking their frustrations out in whatever way necessary; sometimes it was breaking things, sometimes it was drinking, sometimes it was playing chicken on the train tracks just to try and feel something. "Yeah well, not all dreams are made to come true," he responded, dark in a way that meant he was serious. There were few people he would wish real harm on, but Trevor's old man was at the top of the list. "As if the shit stain would learn his lesson," Cam took the beer, not intending on raining on Trevor's attempts at optimism, however hollow they may be. He just knew better by that point between the shit hand he had been dealt with his own family, and what he'd seen Trevor deal with. "Ace probably knows someone inside..." Cam shrugged as he took a swig of his beer, serious but not serious but also kind of serious in the offer. "Whatever man, you don't need this shit. He's away for while, maybe we should rob him."

[smokingaceschw]

"Yeah well you and your crew would have had to if you weren't all fuckin' virgins." Ace was always able to give as good as he got when it came to clowning with the lost boys so Cam was no different. Cam's surprise had Ace arching an eyebrow, "Yeah, don't sound so fuckin' shocked before I get offended." Ace didn't see a problem with Cam's cards, the way he saw it if they were gonna run their mouth about Cam having underworld ties then Cam should use it to his advantage, make all of those motherfuckers fear him enough to never fuck with him without ever confirming or denying anything. "I don't know about that part. Didn't think about it honestly. Maybe I'll just stack a nest egg and figure some legal shit out that's also my own shit…maybe a bike shop or somethin'." Ace shrugged, really not having those details panned out. While he could see himself with children, he also couldn't see himself not a greaser and the two lives weren't exactly compatible. "You could fuck up a wet dream, you know that, bro?"

[camdenclaymore]

"Nah, I think you mean it's 'cause we're all fuckin' each other," Cam wagged his brows, if only to paint the mental image in his brother's head for a laugh. If he wanted to get technical he supposed he just had to tick Dev off the list... "I mean I just, sorry-" he waved a hand in surrender. "Maybe I'm just too used to thinkin' we'd never have much of anythin'. And you're getting kind of up there anyways... won't be long before you're puffin' nothin' but dust into some poor girl," he laughed, so much he choked on it a little. Honestly, he couldn't remember ever being so comfortable just talking shit with his brother. Even if he still found himself on high alert, he wasn't eternally terrified of being beaten for nothing. Maybe all that shit when he was a kid had worked, maybe he'd come out the other side tough enough to be considered worthy. "I hope you get it, man, I really do. We're gonna show 'em all."

[theduchampboy]

It'd been years since Trevor heard from his dad, and not by some miracle, but because of Ace and what he'd helped him do. Part of him couldn't believe he'd actually listened, that all it took was a good ass whooping and someone with real authority to get through to him. People asked about him sometimes, usually some adult on the south side, and Trevor just shrugged, said he must be good if he hadn't heard from him. He figured it was only a matter of time though, that this kind of peace just wasn't sustainable, and eventually he'd slither back into this life — dead or drunk or ready to apologize (that'd really be a miracle). When he received a collect call from an inmate at the county jail he immediately knew who was on the other end.

"No, I- What makes you think I got that kinda money?" He was pacing the living room, his father only vaguely explaining his situation to him, clearly omitting some key details. The bottom line was he needed money, either for bail or a lawyer, he couldn't tell, but either way he didn't have it, not for him anyway. He didn't hear the front door open or realize Cam was home until he was right in front of him, rightfully concerned, and Trevor put his hand up to give him a minute. "Yeah well you probably shoulda thought of that huh.... yeah okay... whatever." He hung up then groaned, taking a second to collect himself enough to talk to Cam. "My dad. Fuckin' punched a cop or somethin'." @camdenclaymore

[camdenclaymore]

Cam was in an alright place for possibly the first time in his life - he had his friends, he had Greg, he was doing well at school, even Ace wasn't trying to kill him anymore which in itself felt like a miracle. To say he had a pep in his step might have been too generous given he'd just got back from hanging out with Arden and figuring out she was sleeping with his brother had melted his brain. Still, he was in good spirits as he'd come home, hoping one of the guys might be around to help him rinse his mind out with the beers he'd picked up on his way back. Hearing Trevor on the phone had him moving quietly so not to disturb him, then he caught some of what he was saying and stilled, selfishly wanting to hear as much as he could before Trevor noticed him. Given he was obviously talking to his father he knew it was unlikely he'd want to elaborate since Cam had threatened to end the guy on more than one occasion.

"And you're supposed to care?" his jaw tensed, but he breathed through it and held up the six pack. "Guess I knew we were gonna need these. Honestly I thought old boy would have choked on his own vomit by now but I guess we can't be so lucky..."