Locked Wheels

Chapter 16

TEREZI: 4ND TH4T W4S ALL H3 S4ID? R34LLY?

Karkat put his cigarette between his lips, puffing on it as he responded to Terezi's text.

KARKAT: YES.

KARKAT: WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

Karkat was sitting outside in the backyard, his back against the rough brick wall next to the porch. It was almost noon, which meant Kankri was already milling around the house. He'd discovered weeks ago that you couldn't see someone who was where he was unless you came all the way outside, and Kankri rarely came into the backyard. Especially not now, when the sky was grey and overcast as if it might rain. Karkat was safe for at least twenty more minutes.

Karkat exhaled a lungful of smoke, the usually soothing dry burning in the back of his throat doing little for his nervousness. He sighed softly as his phone buzzed on the concrete beside him.

TEREZI: IDK M4N :/

TEREZI: M4YB3 TH4T W4SNT WH4T H3 M34NT TO S4Y? M4YB3 YOU JUST PUT HIM ON TH3 SPOT 4ND H3 COULDNT THINK OF 4NYTHING TO S4Y

KARKAT: HE SOUNDED A LOT MORE LIKE HE JUST DIDN'T REMEMBER IT AT ALL.

TEREZI: 4W CMON KK YOU KNOW TH4TS NOT TRU3. YOUR3 PR3TTY UNFORG3TT4BLE3 >;]

KARKAT: STOP. I'M BEING SERIOUS.

KARKAT: I DID WHAT YOU SAID. I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT. OR I TRIED TO. IT DIDN'T WORK. SO IT'S OFFICIAL NOW.

KARKAT: HE DOESN'T REMEMBER US KISSING.

TEREZI: TH4TS NOT TRU3. YOU DONT KNOW FOR SUR3.

KARKAT: HE WAS TOO DRUNK TO REMEMBER ANY OF IT.

KARKAT: THIS PROVES IT MORE THAN ANYTHING.

TEREZI: NO IT DO3SNT >:T

TEREZI: YOU JUST H4V3 TO TRY 4G4IN. NO GOOD 3XP3RIM3NT H4S JUST ON3 TRI4L.

KARKAT: YOU FAILED BIOLOGY FRESHMAN YEAR.

TEREZI: YES, BUT IF I R3M3MB3R 4NYTHING ITS TH4T

KARKAT: HES GONNA THINK ITS CREEPY IF I KEEP ASKING ABOUT IT

TEREZI: 4ND YOUR3 GONN4 THINK ITS S4D WH3N H3 G3TS 4 BOYFRI3ND TH4TS NOT YOU

Karkat huffed softly. He brought the rest of his cigarette, just barely a stub, to his lips and sucked in one last drag before he ground it out in the dirt, pushing it down so that it was buried. He closed his eyes, holding the smoke in his lungs for a few seconds longer than usual. As he exhaled, he looked his phone again.

KARKAT: FINE.

KARKAT: I'LL TRY AND ASK HIM ABOUT IT ON MONDAY

TEREZI: GOOD >:]

KARKAT: BE QUIET. IM ONLY DOING IT SO YOULL SHUT UP ABOUT IT

TEREZI: 4W DONT 4CT LIK3 YOU DONT LOV3 M3 >;]

"Karkat?" Kankri's voice sounded muffled from inside the house. Karkat quickly grabbed his pack of cigarettes and his lighter and swiftly slipped them into his pocket just as he heard the sliding door open.

"Oh. Here you are. I've been looking everywhere for you," he said. "What're you doing out here?" Kankri looked neat and put together, his clothes ironed and bright and his hair done carefully, even though it was noon on a Saturday. Meanwhile, Karkat was in the same pants he'd been wearing the past two days and one of his old hoodies, which he was starting to suspect had been washed last in New York. It annoyed Karkat how good Kankri seemed at all of this.