she would be short on the topic of why she was here, she wasn’t about to talk about it to anyone who wasn’t looking for a fight with her, and she knew better than to think cameron was looking for one. it was likely why he stayed away from it and let her focus on what she was doing without having to pause and fight again. cam only fed the ideas that were stirring in her mind and she had to pause to give him some credit for that, but then…”effort.” she wasn’t willing to waste it on shane and she had places to be. she just felt like hindering him. “unless you want to carry a silver door down here, plus…he’s a mutt, it would only keep out half of him.” not that she wouldn’t love to see which half of him couldn’t get in. pretty sure she knew that wasn’t how it worked but the thought entertained her enough for the time being. corey nodded about the lock, the blue-eyed mother would love it and…”christmas is her crack, she’ll probably make annoying noises about that too.” corey mutters, smiling a bit and then shaking her head. “i don’t know, sort of, but she’s never annoyed me or gotten on my bad side which…can be all sides i think. she’s never gotten there or anything.” iris hadn’t, and if she ever had well, corey wasn’t aware of it so it clearly didn’t bother corey in the slightest. cameron handing over a packet of something had her setting the screwdriver down to actually sit down on the porch and pick through the tiny pieces inside the tin box, popping one in her mouth and tasting the mint that spread over her tongue. she was picking each up and examining them then, putting more in her mouth and refusing to crunch on them. they got tucked in her cheeks. she never liked the sound and feeling of biting into her lime suckers because then they were just gone really fast, and so she didn’t bite these either. “not pine, i like pine and mutts pee on them. doesn’t deserve pine. maybe just make it smell like old lady perfume and cheap soap.” she scrunched her nose a bit, still eating the mints cameron had given her. gold eyes looked up to her cousin from where she sat and she glanced to the door with a shrug. “i was just gonna do the front and back door, i already glued the toilet seats, but all doors works too.”
he wasn’t here to talk to corey about what happened. it was none of his business really. and he had no business knowing about it, or talking about it. he said he was here to help, and that is what he was going to do. cameron didn’t stick his nose in where it didn’t belong. and it wasn’t because he didn’t like being around people, it was simply that, he just didn’t feel like it belonged in anyone’s business. a lot of the time cameron didn’t even know half the stuff that was going on, because he didn’t listen to people talking around him. always with earbuds in his ears, listening to his music to drown out the people talking around him. he wasn’t one for gossip. and he wasn’t one to spread gossip either. he kept his shit clean, kept to himself most days, usually he spent all day and night working, not really needing sleep, so he worked a lot, getting things done that needed to be done. a small smile played on his lips, hearing his cousins one word, blue eyes going up to her old place, before looking back down at her.”i mean if you want me to i can.” he says, a light shrug of his shoulders given, a nervous hand running through his hair. he was always nervous around people, wasn’t just his cousin, though he was more relaxed around her, what with being family and all. but still, there was that nervous feeling he got, like he’d say something wrong, or overstep some sort of boundary.”let’s hope it’s the important part that keeps out.” he says, though he wasn’t sure what he was talking about, because he knew it would keep all of shane out. but again, he runs a hand through his hair, because he probably wasn’t helping in the slightest here. a soft smile played on his lips, as he shifts his weight from foot to foot, not something he needed to do, but it was a comfort of sorts as he listens to corey talk about her mother.”so she sounds like my mom when she’s around christmas? all squealing, clapping, high pitched talking?” he asks her, before he’s nodding his head at her next words on iris.”can’t imagine she would try, or you know...do that...you two seem pretty good around each other.” he says, and he knew he’d be blushing now if he could, but thankfully, that couldn’t happen anymore. he sometimes found corey adorable. sometimes. she did terrify him at times, just like her best friend did, just like everyone did. but now, he watched her with the mints, and he felt like a kid himself. granted he looked eighteen, and sometimes even acted that age.”can i?” he asks, pointing to the empty spot on the steps, asking if he could sit, as she stuffs all the mints into her mouth, which had him smiling, but he learned not to stare, and he looks back to the house once more, hearing her words, he nods his head, looking back at her.”i could uh get some of that for you. should find us a skunk.” he murmurs, stuffing his hands in his pockets, as he cants his head toward the door, before he’s dropping his eyes down at corey, nodding his head.”whatever you want. consider me your apprentice. glueing the toilet seats is classic though. he uh probably won’t even realize you’ve done that. should raid his fridge, leave a window open for small critters to get into, so they can you know, do their business and stuff inside.”