Chasing Dragonflies

After dinner Bert and I sat on the step of the back door and looked out at the dark yard.

"That's a bad habit you know," I informed him as he lit up his cigarette.

He took a drag and looked at me out of the corner of his eye, "So is what you're doing."

"And what am I doing?" I turned my head to look at him.

"Pretending that nothing happened between you and Jepha last night."

I felt my jaw drop and quickly shut it, "How do you know? Did he tell you? Does Quinn know?"

Bert smiled at my rapid fire questions, "I know cause I saw you. Jeph didn't tell me and I don't think Quinn knows cause he would have kicked Jeph's ass by now and he was pretty busy sucking face with some girl at the time."

I nodded and turned back to look at the fog that hung over the dark, frost covered lawn, "What do you think about it?"

"I think that you guys really like each other and that you both deserve to be happy," he blew out a stream of smoke from between his lips.

I nodded again and bit the side of my lip, "Quinn would be mad."

"That's his problem."

"I don't want to make problems between you guys. Not when it's been so good," I tucked my arms underneath my knees, trying to warm my bare legs up a little.

Bert smiled and nudged me with his shoulder, "We're big boys we can fix our own problems."

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "Like all the shit that happened with Branden? I am not being the cause of anything like that."

"This is different. I love you and I love Jepha," Bert smiled.

It was my turn to nudge him and I dropped my jaw in mock shock, "Bert you can be so mean!"

"It's true," he shrugged, "I don't know what I'd do without you guys and Quinn."

I shuffled closer to him, mostly for his body heat as my ass was pretty much frozen to the concrete, "You'll never have to find out."

"Promise?" he turned to look at me and his blue eyes made me melt.

Sometimes I forgot that Bert had been through so much shit. Okay he hadn't exactly helped himself with some things and he knew how I felt about the drugs and stuff, but there were still times he would look at me, like now, and I swear he was just a little boy caught up in all of this 'fame' business.

"So what are you going to do about your Jepha dilemma?" Bert asked.

I pursed my lips and pretended to think, "Um... Nothing?"

Bert chuckled, "Sounds like a good plan."

"Eh... I try," I shrugged and smiled.

"Aren't you guys freezing out here?"

I looked up to see Jeph standing above us.

"Yes," I smiled.

He rolled his eyes at me, "Then why are you sitting out here?"

"Can't be bothered moving."

"Even though your ass is probably frozen to the step?" he asked.

I shrugged, "If I get stuck I get stuck."

"What if you have to sit there forever?"

"I won't be stuck forever cause when it's warm in the summer I'll defrost and be unstuck," I reasoned.

Bert looked between us, "Okay, you know a conversation gets weird when I can't make sense of it."

I grinned at him as he stood up and stretched his arms above his head. Jepha quickly took his spot on the step beside me.

"I guess if you're gonna get stuck out here I might as well keep you company," he sighed and looked up at the sky.

I linked my arm through his and followed his line of sight up to the stars filling the jet black night, "Thanks Jepha."

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