~Row, row, row your boat~

Rowan Anderson

[rowan-yourboat]

"The chickens are free to roam wherever they want but generally stay around their coops. Goats and sheep have a five acre enclosure to just... Do their thing, I suppose, and the horses have thirty acres. There's some really fancy ones that breed some of the best racing and show horses in the States."

As they rode around the ranch leisurely, Rowan pointed out the different structures and enclosures. Besides the cows and horses that made up her father's formal business, her parents loved animals to simply keep as pets, and there was more than enough space for them to have as many as they wanted.

She shared little details and stories with Morgan, arms loosely perched around her waist. Every now and then, she'd fall into the spell of the moment and rest her chin on the girl's shoulder, but it never lasted. The last thing she needed was for her parents to find something to stick their noses in.

"And the cows are waaaay over there, as you can see." She pointed at the moving spots in the distance, gently nudging the horse to go that way.

"Dad doesn't breed animals for slaughter. His business is actually providing range-free, happy cows and bulls for other ranchers to breed their own. There's cows for milk production, stud bulls for competition, and some really fancy, really expensive, and incredibly cute tiny cows that are mostly kept as pets. Very docile too. Wanna go meet them?"

Just then, the galloping of a horse made her look behind. Charlie was quickly gaining on them and Rowan smiled. Maybe Charlie would be a proper rider by the time they left the ranch.

"Sup, nerd." She greeted back, looking behind Charlie to see the giant cat watching them from the top of a water barrel. "I see you've met Odin. Very nice, since he's not a very social cat."

[rowan-yourboat]

The brief flare of assertiveness was extinguished when she caught the sudden change in Charlie's demeanor.

She watched the girl go with a frown, immediately knowing something was wrong, but as Row usually did, she would bite her tongue and let Charlie come to her if she wanted to.

A quick flash of movement off to the left caught her eye. It was trailing Charlie and after catching the barest hint of grey, Rowan relaxed. Charlie wouldn't be alone, after all.

The touch to her hand brought her back to the moment and any leftover challenge left her body under Morgan's soft touch. It grounded her, and that was something she constantly needed, even if she'd never admit it out loud. Then, Morgan's forehead was resting against her own, and Row closed her with a small smile while her fingers loosely fisted the material of the girl's pullover.

"Don't worry, we have a handy step stool for kids, but I suppose you can use it too." She teased lightly before helping the jock settle comfortably on the saddle, then jumped behind her, grabbing the reigns and gently encouraging the horse onto a leisurely pace.

She left the other horse there tied to the post, hoping Charlie would join them at some point.

***

"Bob."

"I know. I saw."

"But, Bob..."

"Nope."

[rowan-yourboat]

"No. You are definitely not riding a horse on your own with a temporarily useless arm, no matter how much experience you may or may not have." Rowan glared at Morgan, daring her to go against her as she brought two horses over, positioning one closer to the makeshift step stool her dad kept for beginning riders. There was no way Morgan was jumping onto the horse with her arm on a sling.

She was not putting the already clumsy girl in further danger than necessary, and if keeping her dad meant coming off as a royal bitch, she could deal with that. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, nor the last.

"Also," her attention went to charlie, smiling in apology at the girl, "as much as I trust you and these horses, I've been ridin' regularly since I was five, so I'd feel better if Morgan rode with me. Just in case."

She ignored the two heads she could see peering their way just over the kitchen window. Her parents took strange pleasure from seeing people trying to deal with her, and Rowan was sure this time wouldn't be the exception.

She also knew she'd be scolded for being too harsh if they managed to hear their conversation.

She sighed and her body relaxed.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be a bitch, but can you guys just give me this peace of mind until I'm convinced you can ride on your own, Morgan?"

[morgan-a-w]

Morgan’s first instinct was to refuse help, but one look at Mr. Anderson and another subtle one on Rowan’s direction told her it would be no use. If he was able to resist whatever Rowan could throw at him, then Morgan had absolutely no chance. She offered a smile then while handing the bags over before hurrying to catch up with Row and Charlie as the tour started.

And what a tour it was.

Both rooms were…huge. And the deciding factor for the jock was the view, not that the other room didn’t have a decent view from the window, but the Anderson sure owned a lot of land and Morgan could swear they could see the cattle from one of the rooms but not the other. Maybe it was because animals were a little too far off the left, but Morgan chose the left room just the same.

“I think this one?“

A moment later Mr. Anderson had delivered their bags. And even when Morgan went to the other room to retrieve her own, she was back at Charlie’s side a moment later.

“Hey, can you help me with something before heading down?“

Without really waiting, Morgan took off the sling. It wasn’t the usual one, it was harder and stiff. It surely helped for the bumpy road, but the jock would literally fight it off if she had to wear it much longer. The only downside of it, and why she needed Charlie’s help, was to undo the bothering strap on the back.

***

“We’re here! We’re here!“ Morgan said loudly, almost tripping on the last step of the stairs.

Taking out the sling and finding the other one had been an adventure. She had to empty almost all the contents of her bag on the bed. There was a moment of panic where she wondered if she even had thrown it into the bag. Finally, the item was found and her arm was secured into it as they made their way down in a hurry.

“I promise I didn’t fall asleep.“

Her words were met with a chuckle, but not from Rowan. The girl would probably roll her eyes. Instead, Morgan was met with Mrs. Anderson’s smile and a blush dusted her cheeks at the parental attention.

[rowan-yourboat]

While Morgan and Charlie settled in their room, Rowan took the opportunity to spend some time alone with her parents and explain some things.

Both Viola and Bob were in the kitchen, as Rowan so aptly had guessed, getting breakfast ready. Viola manning the stove while Bob pressed the oranges for the juice. She went straight to her father, leaning up on her tippy toes to press a noisy kiss to his cheek, then she plastered herself over her mother's back.

"Thanks for letting me bring them over, and sorry for the short notice, but things are... Complicated."

"Nonsense, darlin', you know any friend of yours is always welcome in this house."

"You guys are the best."

"Dang right, we are." Bob said, smiling at his daughter cheekily as he set the pitcher on the breakfast table. "Girls all settled in their rooms?"

"Yup. Oh, by the way, they'll only be using one room, they're a couple."

That made both parents stop and exchange a look behind Rowan's back. Maybe Viola had been seeing things that weren't there? It certainly wouldn't be the first time, but it was rare.

"No problem, darlin'."

***

Rowan rolled her eyes with amusement, all too used to Morgan's rather strange antics. She was a child in a very much grown body, and she hoped that never changed. It did keep her on her toes.

"Have a seat, girls, before breakfast goes cold." Viola said with her ever charming smile.

The booth-style table was just big enough for all of them to sit comfortably, and this time Rowan made the sacrifice of sitting in the middle. Her parents to her left and her friends to the right. Her mom's cooking was one of the things she missed the most, and as soon as everybody was seated, she started piling food into her plate and dug in. The others could carry the conversation if they so wanted to.

"Girls, I'm really, really happy that you've been gracious enough to join us for Thanksgiving. Did you know this is the first time Row brings someone for us to meet?"

[rowan-yourboat]

"Jesus Christ, I bring you over to have the feast of a lifetime and this is how you repay me, by teaming up with the she-devil that claims to being my mother? Rude." Rowan exclaimed, although any and all sting was wiped away by the tiny smile and the tenderness of her gaze as she looked at Morgan.

Even when it hurt, she loved that girl to pieces.

The look exchanged by the two brunettes didn't go unnoticed by the Anderson matriarch, and as Rowan herself would do, she filed that little nugget of information to dissect later. In exchange, the devious glint in his wife's eyes was not missed by Robert, and all he could do was sigh fondly.

"That we do, young lady. Now, give those bags here and no, I do not accept any protests. I'm the only man here, let me at least act like one before I'm whisked away to chop onions or God knows what."

"Come on in, Rowan can give you a tour and show you to your rooms to freshen up before breakfast."

*****

As subtly ordered by her mom, Row did give the two girls a quick tour of the deceptively massive house. They ended up in a big, cozy bedroom, and she suddenly looked apologetic.

"I might've forgotten to mention to Ma that you're a couple, so you get two rooms to choose from. They share a bathroom and you can decide which bed you're gonna share." She does through the sentence, trying not to think too hard about Charlie and Morgan sleeping together.

"My room is at the end of the hall, if you need anything. I'll leave you to it, just come downstairs whenever you're ready."

[rowan-yourboat]

"All I can tell you is to expect to be spoiled within an inch of your life while my parents actively try to embarrass me at every turn." Rowan said with a roll of her eyes and fondness in the tilt of her lips.

"Also; animals. Expect a lot of animals, both domestic and otherwise."

*****

The rest of the ride was uneventful, with Row trying to give the girls some sort of crash course on dealing with the Andersons. She left a lot of it out because, well... She couldn't even begin to explain how amazing, loving, and utterly strange Viola and Robert Anderson were.

They were something you had to experience in order to understand.

As soon as they went through the gate demarcating the limits of the ranch, her heart started thumping harder inside her chest. There was both excitement and anxiety making her body almost vibrate, and she tried to find some comfort in the sight of the massive herd of cattle ambling around the pastures in the distance.

Soon, they came to a stop in front of the house and she all but squirmed in her seat before getting out of the truck. She hoped her parents didn't make the visit too big of a deal.

"Baby!" Her mother cried out and all but ran down the steps to envelop her in a crushing hug, but as soon as she caught sight of the two people getting out of the truck, her attention shifted completely.

Viola smiled at them, all white teeth and starry eyes.

"Oh my, and who are these gorgeous creatures?"

"Ma, these are Morgan and Charlie, they're my best friends and generally a pain in my ass.

"Ah, anybody that can give my baby a hard time is treasured in this house! Welcome, welcome. I'm Viola and this-" she looked back, waving her husband over from his position hugging Rowan. "Is my husband, Robert. We are so happy that you've decided to join us for the holiday."

[morgan-a-w]

“You can take shotgun,“ was Morgan’s answer to the grunt and wondered if that was actually what Charlie had intended to say.

Since the door was open, she figured her words weren’t a bad throw in the dark. Still, before she actually got onto the truck, she put their things on the back because dammit, not even an injured shoulder would stop her from being a gentlegal or whatever. Once that little detail was done with, Morgan finally took a look at the truck itself and its decidedly horrendous color.

“Of fucking course,” she muttered to herself because even when she didn’t approve of Rowan’s choice, it somehow fitted the girl. Only Rowan could find a vehicle in that shade of green, or brown, or whatever. It was too early to think properly anyway.

Getting in the back seat meant having Ares for company, and in her mind, that wasn’t a bad deal. Not when he seemed to blink her way slowly before coming to life as he tried to leave his place in pursuit of some affection.

“Atta, boy! And where do you think you’re going?”

And yes, perhaps Morgan baby talked him, but who cared? It was her son and she kissed his tiny little face to be licked in return before he had enough. Then his paw was against her nose and Morgan chuckled. It was incredible how much she could love such a tiny being.

Then, as she finally settled in her own seat, she caught both Rowan and Charlie’s eye for a brief moment. And well, perhaps it was incredible but not surprising considering how much Morgan could actually love.

[rowan-yourboat]

"Alright, ladies, now that you've been fed and are somewhat more awake, perhaps I should give you a rundown of what's going on and what to expect."

It had taken a long time to break the silence that had only been married by the sounds of chewing and the constant slurping of coffee. They were almost an hour into the little more than two hour trip, the sun's first rays lazily peeking over the mountains on the east.

"My parents own a cattle ranch not far from here and they're the kind to be very observant of holidays as family gatherings. Now, you are obviously spending the break with us for glaring reasons because there's no way in hell I was leaving you on campus when it's truly not necessary, so."

The words were unsaid but still there; holidays were family traditions, and family stuck together.

"Now, I will apologize beforehand because, if you think I'm crazy, you're about to find out why."

[rowan-yourboat]

"Good morning." Rowan replied with a soft smile, amused and charmed by Morgan's clear lack of coherence.

She wrapped one arm around the sleepy brunette, and without thinking, opened her other arm in a offering for Charlie to join the awkward hug. She pressed a kiss to the bright pink mop on her head and allowed herself to enjoy the moment for just a little longer.

But life waited for no soul.

"Alright, sleepyheads, get in the truck." She patted both their backs and gently nudged them towards the vehicle. "I went and got us breakfast while you packed up, and the biggest coffees they had."

Inside, Ares was placidly sleeping on the brand new doggy car seat. There was no way she was going to risk the poor animal flying all over the cabin, especially considering the last leg of their trip was going to be a bumpy one.

"I didn't get anything too heavy 'cause you best believe Ma will immediately try to feed you when we get there."

[rowan-yourboat]

'Sweetheart, I was waiting for your call! I told your father it was already late but he insisted you would call when you were ready and didn't let me call you.'

Leave it to Viola Anderson to think half-past five in the morning was 'late'.

"Hey, Ma. Sorry, had to take care of some things before leaving campus. Listen, could you prepare one of the guest rooms? I mi-"

'You're bringing someone over?! Bob. Bob, come here! Rowan is bringing someone over!'

There was some rustling and heavy footsteps coming closer, and Row immediately knew her dad was listening now too.

"Look, it's not a sure thing, okay? I have two... Friends, that aren't going home for the holiday and I kinda don't want them to be alone."

'Say no more, sweetheart, I'll have the room ready! I hope they can make it. The more around the table, the merrier.'

Rowan smiled.

"Thanks, Ma. I'll let you go now and I'll text you when I'm about to start driving, okay? Love you, guys. See you soon."

'Love you too, sweetie. And Bob says he loves you too. Be safe!'

Alright, now she just had to convince said guest to become, well… guests.

She grabbed her jacket and shoved a beanie on her head, turning around before leaving the room.

"Ares?"

A slow blink and a slight tilt of a tiny head.

"...good boy. I'll be back for you in a few, imma go get your mom. Behave."

*****

On her way to the dorm shared by Morgan and Charlie, she tried calling them multiple times. She suspected that either their phones were on silent mode, or they were simply dead to the world. It was barely fifteen till six, so she couldn't completely blame them.

Still, she was a woman on a mission, and by the time she was firmly knocking on the door, she had made up her mind; she wasn't asking, she would drag them to the ranch with her, and that was that.

She didn't put her reputation on the line to get Abby suspended, only to give the redheaded bitch the satisfaction of seeing Charlie stay behind too.

@erickson-charlie @morgan-a-w

[rowan-yourboat]

She had an argument prepared in her head. She knew exactly what she would say and, most importantly, how she would say it to make a strong case before Charlie and Morgan. She was prepared for everything.

Except, obviously, for Morgan to open the door looking like that.

Her hair was a mess, but the kind that seemed done on purpose to look freshly ravaged. There was abs, every single one of them in glorious display for all thirsty eyes in the world. Now, the tenting on the stupidly tight, ridiculously thin thermal pants she wore could be considered obscene, but Rowan was no saint nor was she dead. She felt the blush heating up her entire face and neck, and briefly hoped it could pass up as the cold weather being the one to blame.

Try as she might, she couldn't fault Charlie for falling for Morgan, the girl was a vision that simply didn't belong to this world.

Thankfully, her eyes kept travelling lower and that's when the spell was broken.

"Ew, what the fuck are those?!"

Crocs. Morgan was wearing god damn Crocs.

Staring in horror, she tried to shake the horrifying sight out of her mind with a full body shudder, then took a deep breath.

"Charlie, wake the hell up!" She called out, other students sleeping be damned. She walked past Morgan and into the room, and stood there with her hands on her hips, ready to deliver her message.

"You are both coming home with me for the break and, no, I do not accept any kind of excuses. I don't give a flying duck about anything right now, okay? I'll be damned if I let your crappy ass parents ruin it for you. This is a time to be with family and you're both mine so, yeah. You have thirty to pack up and get ready, Ares and I will be waiting for you in the parking lot."

Her peace said, she nodded resolutely and walked to the door, only stopping briefly to say her last words.

"And good morning to you both." With that, she was gone.

[rowan-yourboat]

'Sweetheart, I was waiting for your call! I told your father it was already late but he insisted you would call when you were ready and didn't let me call you.'

Leave it to Viola Anderson to think half-past five in the morning was 'late'.

"Hey, Ma. Sorry, had to take care of some things before leaving campus. Listen, could you prepare one of the guest rooms? I mi-"

'You're bringing someone over?! Bob. Bob, come here! Rowan is bringing someone over!'

There was some rustling and heavy footsteps coming closer, and Row immediately knew her dad was listening now too.

"Look, it's not a sure thing, okay? I have two... Friends, that aren't going home for the holiday and I kinda don't want them to be alone."

'Say no more, sweetheart, I'll have the room ready! I hope they can make it. The more around the table, the merrier.'

Rowan smiled.

"Thanks, Ma. I'll let you go now and I'll text you when I'm about to start driving, okay? Love you, guys. See you soon."

'Love you too, sweetie. And Bob says he loves you too. Be safe!'

Alright, now she just had to convince said guest to become, well… guests.

She grabbed her jacket and shoved a beanie on her head, turning around before leaving the room.

"Ares?"

A slow blink and a slight tilt of a tiny head.

"...good boy. I'll be back for you in a few, imma go get your mom. Behave."

*****

On her way to the dorm shared by Morgan and Charlie, she tried calling them multiple times. She suspected that either their phones were on silent mode, or they were simply dead to the world. It was barely fifteen till six, so she couldn't completely blame them.

Still, she was a woman on a mission, and by the time she was firmly knocking on the door, she had made up her mind; she wasn't asking, she would drag them to the ranch with her, and that was that.

She didn't put her reputation on the line to get Abby suspended, only to give the redheaded bitch the satisfaction of seeing Charlie stay behind too.

@erickson-charlie @morgan-a-w

[rowan-yourboat]

Abbigail Wesker.

The redheaded, walking aberration had managed to ping Rowan's radar in the absolute worst way, and an Anderson never forgot.

Revenge took time to plan out and find someone to help her carry out her plan - namely one Taylor Rose, but as the Thanksgiving break neared, she was almost itching to see it all unfold. Nobody messed with her people and got away with it, good girl reputation be damned if that was what it took.

"You're one fucked up little nugget, you know that?"

A deadpan look; an eyebrow slowly arching.

"But you're super hot and smart and Abby had it coming?"

A pleased smile.

"Exactly, thanks. You got everything down?"

"Yup! Even rehearsed it and all."

"Dork. Alright, then we're all set. Tomorrow, Abby with the redhead is going down like the sack of manure that she is."

"Yay! Can I get a kiss now?"

"My god, you're worse than a prepubescent boy."

"Is that a yes?"

*****

Hazel eyes darted back and forth as she made her way down the bustling hallways of Erickson.

People shot her looks as she went, and they were met with confusion and no small degree of mistrust. There were whispers and even some giggles, which only added to the strange aura floating around. 

People parted like the red sea as she made her way to her locker, and soon Rowan found out why.

There, running the length of her locker, was the word 'bitch' in bright, pink spray paint.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and counted to ten before making a beeline for the principal's office, face red with barely contained emotions.

"I need to speak with principal Wilkes, please."

"I'm sorry, miss Anderson, but he's not available right now."

"Oh. Well, I think he'll make himself available once he hears someone has defaced my locker in a very, very bold manner." Her voice rose with each word, until she was all but screaming at the end. It was loud enough that the single door behind the gaping secretary opened in a hurry.

"What was that, miss Anderson?"

*****

The school was pretty silent not long after. 

They had waited until the second period to announce all students were to be held in the classrooms until further notice. 

It had taken quite a bit of acting and a lot of talking on Rowan's part to make sure the principal didn't act immediately. She needed to buy Taylor some time to put the last pieces in place.

'Most delincuentes around aren't all that smart.'

'I don't know why anyone would do something so vile.'

'Maybe the security cameras caught something?'

Oh yeah, if engineering didn't work out, Rowan was certain she could make it as an actress.

One by one both the staff and security team searched lockers and backpacks for clues, the next step would be searching the dorms, but they didn't need to, and as a high pitched voice broke the silence, Rowan fought not to smile outwardly.

"Miss Wesker, please, stop your flailing.

"But I didn't do anything!"

Abby with the red hair.

She hoped Charlie got to see her go down.

*****

"I'm sorry, miss Anderson. What that girl did was completely out of line and a flagrant violation of school rules. Principal Wilkes will call your parents to explain and apologize for the terrible transgression."

"Well, there are worse fates than being suspended, I suppose. I'm glad she wasn't expelled."

"Only thanks to you, miss Anderson." The woman smiled, and Rowan mirrored it with a barely there tilt of her lips. She still had to sell it, after all. "Her parents were less than thrilled, agreed that they didn't want her home for the break. Two weeks worth of on campus suspension should give her enough time to think about her actions."

"I hope so, it would be a shame to see her stray from the path of success."

"You're all too good, Rowan. Go back to class, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break, dear."

"You as well, Mrs. Duran."

*****

"So, I heard someone spray painted your locker, Anderson."

"Ugh, if you're here to make fun of me then go bother somebody else, Rose."

"Damn girl, I'm just tryna strike up a conversation."

Classes were done for the day and most students were still gathered outside sharing their plans for the break. The good thing about being in a private school was how they usually got longer breaks, and Thanksgiving was no different. It was only Tuesday and they were free to go home, only expected back in time for class on Monday morning.

As she approached her room with Taylor still trailing behind at a respectable distance, she stopped before walking inside. Nobody was paying them any mind.

She grabbed Taylor by the tie and dragged her inside her room with a devious smile, locking the door behind them.

She felt like celebrating.

Spray paint; eighteen dollars.

Linen gloves in small; twenty one dollars.

Getting back at Abby for hurting Charlie, well…

Delicious and priceless.

[rowan-yourboat]

She didn't even have time to properly look at Morgan before soft lips had pressed a rushed kiss to her cheek. For a moment, she was stunned into silence.

It wasn't a rare occurrence, what with Morgan being just innately affectionate and sweet, but something in the way the jock said her name had sounded different. Taking a long look at the brunette, a different feeling floated to the surface.

For all her faults and missteps, Morgan was truly a good soul. Generous and sweet, never afraid to love and show it for the world to see. She was gorgeous inside and out, painfully so. She could easily see what Charlie saw in her, what made her say yes to the jock.

Not being able to hold it against the soccer player was a hard pill to swallow.

"You're welcome, and don't worry, I'll take good care of him. Call me later and we can hit up the pet store, 'cause I'm def gonna need some supplies for this little dude." She smiled, all the while gently scratching Ares' head as he resumed staring into space. He was really an odd creature.

"Say hi to Charlie for me."

[morgan-a-w]

Some people believed Morgan was an open book; eager to share, and with a direct look through the soul through her gaze. Maybe that was true to some extent, but she had learned to hide the parts of her life that truly mattered. Even if some of the turmoil was visible, she would deflect the feeling into something else; something smaller that would suffice as a believable answer.

But keeping things to herself when Row was there, that was much harder. And despite the need to protect herself, Morgan couldn’t escape the guilt. One day she would be able to be more open, to share the things that burdened her without feeling like she was abusing Rowan’s willingness to help.

One day when things with Charlie were better, when the pain of the Fabrays leaving didn’t sting so harshly. One day when they were less worried and tired and in all honesty, less angry. Because even when Morgan was hurt, she couldn’t bear it if her friends, her first real friends in a long time, looked at her differently. If they looked at her as if she were a helpless girl.

And yes, there was a possibility that the day she opened up to Rowan was the day the dam broke and everything came pouring down as she tried to survive another storm. But right then, Morgan was okay. She had to be, for Charlie’s sake and for her own.

“It’s a funny story, really,“ Morgan said with a chuckle and the first open smile of the day. “I always wanted a big dog. Since I was a kid I dreamed about having a German Shep, or a Husky with eyes as blue as mine, but a Great Dane was my goal, one I would name Ares. Of course, my parents would never allow it.“

Taking the liberty to roam through Rowan’s room and dresser, Morgan found a particularly familiar hoodie that she threw at her best friend with a quick muttered “put that on” as the only interruption to her tale.

“Maybe for the greater good since there was no way on Earth I could’ve handled such a majestic beast. Anyway, one of our servers had a dog, and said dog had little puppies. One day she sneaked Ares into the house and convincing my father of letting me keep a dog the size of a tea cup was so much easier. The name stuck, and dear Ares here used to cause havoc when he was young. A vicious ankle bitter, so you better watch your fingers.“

Once Rowan had put on the hoodie, Morgan carefully slipped Ares into one of the pockets where his little head was all that could be seen. Tongue hanging out and tail wagging against the inside of the pocket, Ares resumed his licks on Rowan’s arm…or whatever it was he reached.

[rowan-yourboat]

Barely catching the item thrown at her without dropping the apparently - she was still a little skeptic - living creature in her hands, she shrugged it on after setting Ares gently on her bed. Somehow, the hoodie still smelled of Morgan.

Lifting her arms, she allowed her friend to do... Whatever it was she was doing. In the end, she had a tiny ball of fluff sitting in her pocket, looking as happy as could be as it tried to lick whatever part of Rowan within reach. It was pretty cute, she had to admit, and she smiled down at the little creature.

"Well... It's still a weird name for this tiny of a dog, but I suppose weirder things have happened in the world." Wagging her fingers at the dog, she chuckled when it nibbled at them playfully.

"Maybe it's strange for me to see such a tiny thing. My mom's cat is about... Ten times bigger, I would say? And you might think I'm joking, but I'm really not. You'll see for yourself one day. Soon, I hope." And with that, a tiny thread of an idea started coming together in the back of her head, but she could revisit that later.

"So, does this make me like, the foster parent of the god of war?"

[morgan-a-w]

Looking into Row’s eyes was too much for Morgan, but she managed to nod in acknowledge before taking a step back. Maybe that act itself was telling, but what it said exactly, she wasn’t sure.

The kindness in Rowan’s voice made Morgan shrug again, more as a way to fill the silence while she found her words than anything else. Then, she sat on Rowan’s desk, playing with the zipper on the neon orange bag where she carried Ares.

“It’s not too big of a stretch,“ she offered after clearing her throat. “They weren’t happy about me being here, and this…“ she signaled to the sling. “Suffice to say they’re mad at me. I jeopardized the future they wanted for me, and my mother calls it recklessness. If they can’t make me leave on their own, I wouldn’t put it pass them to find other ways, you know?“

Blue eyes focused back on the tiny dog as he yawned; as if barely waking up, and was ready for the most exhausting hour of activity as he licked Rowan’s hand and nosed at her fingers insistently. When he didn’t receive immediate attention, he barked. Except that he didn’t know how to and instead sneezed.

“Mighty Ares demands your attention, Princess.“

He continued squirming as a sign he was very much a living creature. It wouldn’t take long for him to return to the unblinking state, but it was nice seeing him be playful for a little bit. He was okay after spending months in her parents’ house, and really, that was all Morgan could ask for.

[rowan-yourboat]

Eloquent as she could be, Rowan was at a loss for words. She had yet to recover from the shock of what had happened to Charlie, and to realize Morgan's parents weren't too far behind the Fabrays was a little much to digest all at once.

Her heart hurt for both her friends, the pang in her chest sharp and almost violent as she tried to look into baby blues that seemed intent in not meeting her own searching gaze.

It was clear Morgan didn't want her to probe what was clearly still an open wound, and Rowan understood boundaries very well.

"To be honest; no. I don't know and I don't actually care to understand that fucked up reasoning, but I'll gladly help you if it keeps you out of any more trouble." She thought about Morgan's brother, the one she still cried for, so it wasn't a stretch that her parents would do such a heinous thing to their daughter.

Then, her fingers were wet, and she remembered she was holding something. Looking down, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the little creature licking and nudging her fingers. Maybe it was a dog, after all.

She would ignore the bizarre attempt at a bark for her own sake.

"Ares. You named this... thing after the god of war. Really, jock?"

[rowan-yourboat]

“O…kay?”

From the get-go, Rowan could tell something was off with her friend. For as good as an actress Morgan thought herself to be,her facade always crumbled like paper around Row, and never failed to earn the soccer player a funny look.

The girl was learning, though, and it didn’t take much longer for her to compose herself, which made Rowan nod appreciatively. Patting her head and calling her a ‘good girl’ was oh so tempting.

“Uhm, sure, come in.” Taking the backpack with some degree of mistrust, she eyed it and held it away from her body as she closed the door. Walking over to the desk, she placed the bag on top carefully, still a little skeptical.

“I’m not going to find drugs or like, body parts in there, am I?” She was only half-joking, and after slowly opening the zipper, she finally open it and peeked inside. All she saw was fluff, and deeming it safe enough, she scooped the contents and put them on the desk.

She blinked. It didn’t blink back.

A tumbleweed rolled down the hallway.

“…is this one of those realistic toy dogs?”

[rowan-yourboat]

Having the little thing in her hands didn't completely convince her it was real, but Rowan wasn't about to be rude. She held the little creature with no small amount of skepticism still, but gently rubbed his chin.

It still wouldn't blink.

Focusing her attention back on Morgan, she could see a storm behind the kindness and love in blue eyes, and it made Rowan process her words a little better.

"You... You think your parents are going to snitch about you having a pet in the premises." It wasn't a question, as she was talking more to herself than anything else. "So, you brought it here for me to help you hide it?"

It made sense, but the implications behind it were so twisted and downright fucked up that she had trouble understanding.

Forcing Morgan to look at her by tilting her chin up with her hand, Rowan's frown was deep.

"You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, of course I'll help you, but I can also lend an ear if or when you need it."

[rowan-yourboat]

"O...kay?"

From the get-go, Rowan could tell something was off with her friend. For as good as an actress Morgan thought herself to be,her facade always crumbled like paper around Row, and never failed to earn the soccer player a funny look.

The girl was learning, though, and it didn't take much longer for her to compose herself, which made Rowan nod appreciatively. Patting her head and calling her a 'good girl' was oh so tempting.

"Uhm, sure, come in." Taking the backpack with some degree of mistrust, she eyed it and held it away from her body as she closed the door. Walking over to the desk, she placed the bag on top carefully, still a little skeptical.

"I'm not going to find drugs or like, body parts in there, am I?" She was only half-joking, and after slowly opening the zipper, she finally open it and peeked inside. All she saw was fluff, and deeming it safe enough, she scooped the contents and put them on the desk.

She blinked. It didn't blink back.

A tumbleweed rolled down the hallway.

"...is this one of those realistic toy dogs?"

[morgan-a-w]

War...or something like that.

The lake and its surroundings gave Morgan plenty of privacy to deal with her parents and check on Ares. But keeping a dog on Erickson’s grounds was dangerous. The size didn’t matter. It didn’t even have to be a dog to break the rules since no pets were allowed.

If it was some scheme from her parents to get her expelled, Morgan wasn’t certain. She was so glad to have him back, but the line was so thin and even being a top student wouldn’t save her from this kind of infraction. Exactly for that reason she needed extra help.

She needed a plan for that Morgan had to buy some time  to clear her mind and be able to actually think.

The first person that came to mind was Rowan based on the fact they didn’t share a room. If this was indeed another one of her mother’s petty plans, then the school would soon request to inspect the room the jock shared with Charlie. Row was a safer option. And so Morgan stood in front of her best friend’s room wondering how she would even explain the situation without breaking down.

Before she could overthink too much, she knocked on the door, silently begging Rowan was in there after class. If the girl had tutoring, a thing with Taylor or simply decided to visit the town, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. A call later on would probably be just as good.

However, if Rowan didn’t want anything to do with the dog, well…Morgan couldn’t blame her. But at this point, there was no plan B.

@rowan-yourboat

[rowan-yourboat]

"Just a second, please."

Pushing away from the desk, Rowan stood up and stretched, moaning as her bones seemed to fall back in place after being slouched over for far too long. She had gotten caught up on a personal project, yet again, and time had literally flown by without her noticing. Definitely nothing unusual about that, but she really had to work on her posture before seeing her mom for the upcoming break.

Being hit in the head with a wooded ladle was not at the top of her 'must-repeat' list.

She hoped against hope that it wasn't Taylor. As much as she had come to like the girl - and her many talents, Row wasn't in the mood for a roll around the hay. Not to mention she was still sore from their little meet-up earlier during free period.

She shrugged on a pair of shorts, took a sip - or five - of an energy drink, and went to open the door. Who she found on the other side made her smile and sag with relief.

"Hey, jock, what's up?"