Cousins in Arms

[Gifted]

Liam smiled as they got up to leave. It was a week before his birthday, and his uncle had taken him, his sister and his cousin out to a restaurant. It was also one of the few outings where he hadn't had to step out to deal with some asshole who thought he could get smart and coerce Liam into getting his drugs early by ambushing him in front of his family, or rivals trying to pick a fight. He hadn't had to hide anything. Liam was extremely grateful for that. "Thanks, Uncle Adam. Today was awesome." He grinned as he waited for the others to get up to leave.

[Raven]

"You're welcome, Liam. I hope you'll have a great birthday. I know I'm always happy when you get to visit, it's good for you and Willow to still be able to spend time together," Adam said, leaving money on the table for the meal and getting up to lead the kids out towards the car.
Kailen stood up too, more slowly.

[Gifted]

"Yeah, it's awesome. Willow, Kailen, come on! We only got so long before I gotta get back home."
Willow got up quicker at Liam's prompting. "Sorry." She really did want Liam around as long as possible.

[Raven]

Kailen glanced at Willow and hurried to follow. "I'll be right back, you kids can go wait outside or in the car if you'd like," Adam said, heading for the bathrooms.

[Gifted]

"Alright." Liam nodded. "So hey you two, am I ever gonna get to meet any of your friends? You've never brought them around. Willow, you don't even seem to talk about them at all."
"Well, truth is I don't really have many friends." Willow admitted.

[Raven]

"My friends don't talk to me much anymore," Kailen said, hesitantly. He glanced at Willow, then added, "They don't like I quit smoking. Say I'm boring." He shrugged.

[Gifted]

"You'll find better friends, I know it." Willow smiled.
"Hang on, you used to smoke?" Liam was shocked. "But this isn't... you're just... how did you get ahold of cigarettes?"

[Raven]

"I knew some people who would sell them," Kailen said, shrugging. Or he'd steal them, but he didn't add that in front of Willow. "It wasn't hard. Sometimes I'd even get some for free if I did certain people favors. Was easier to trade me cigs than anything else."

[Gifted]

"I can guarantee you were getting ripped off." He chuckled. "Still it'd probably be a pretty decent business, selling cigarettes to teenagers. I could get you a pack for six bucks, you sell them like a dollar each and you're making six bucks a pack." He mused.

[Raven]

Glancing behind them to make sure his dad still wasn't coming, Kailen said, "Me and Willow go on adventures now. It's way more fun."

[Gifted]

"And much less likely to kill you in forty years." Willow added, smiling.
"Adventures? Like what?" Liam asked.

[Raven]

Kailen looked hesitant right away, and he glanced around again. "You can't tell my dad," he warned.

[Gifted]

Liam grinned. "Sure. There's a lot of things your dad doesn't know." He said slyly.

[Raven]

"Well, like last week we skipped school one day and took a bus over to Selma," Kailen said, naming the next town over.

[Gifted]

"No way! On your own?"
"Yeah." Willow nodded. "It was really cool. We've been to a couple places now."
I'm so jealous. I've never left Soudoyer except to come here. Grandpa says it's too dangerous for me."