It's More Than Nature

"I feel like such a douche," I muttered to Saint, who offered a sympathetic glance before a soft "I'm sorry, Fallout, I never meant to fuck up your relationship with your sister."

I shook my head, flattening my ears in embarrassment. "My fault. I thought she was Insulin... my other sister. She's much less liable to get pissy than Scatt is. And..." I'm sure I resembled a cherry by now. "I'm sorry I kissed you."

Saint just smiled. "Don't be so fucking apologetic, please. Not your fault at all."

I sighed and stood up from my seat in the dusty sand. She stood up also. "I have to find Insulin and tell her what happened," I informed Saint, who nodded silently before wrapping both her arms around me and hugging me tight. I froze. Killjoys don't hug a lot, so it was a bit... awkward. But she refused to let go, so I hugged her back.

Still gaining color in the face, I pulled away and mumbled something about goodbye, turning on my heel and jogging off to find my sister.

I couldn't find her. "Insulin?" I called, stopping when a shadow crossed my path. I looked up. "Hi, Scatt," I mumbled, backing up.

She glared at me again. "Where's my sister?"

I flinched. She said 'my sister,' not 'our sister'. But she's right. I'm not her brother.

"I don't know," I told her. "I was looking for her too." Scatt pursed her lips. "And Party Poison?" I thought. Had I seen him recently? "No," I said aloud, earning a scowl from my sister. "And please," she began. I looked her in the eye. "What?"

"Get that bitch out of our family!" she snapped, and I really hoped Saint wasn't eavesdropping. "No fucking way," I snapped back. "I'm not a deserting bitch like you! I don't leave good people out to die!"

Scatt stared at me.

"How fucking dare you, you stupid little whore. Good people?!" Her eyes bulged and I regretted my choice to taunt her. But... "Why'd you call me a whore?" I asked, needing to know.

Scatt sighed harshly. "I dunno, Fallout Dust. Get the fuck away from me." And with that, she turned and walked away.

I stared after her, tears threatening at my lash line. "Saint?" I called, looking around.

Saint stuck her head out from behind the car, eyes wide. Shit. She'd been there all along. "C'mere," I told her, and without hesitation she walked over to me, hair straggling in the hot breeze. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about that," I murmured, staring at my feet and tucking my hair back. "Scatt can get a little bit angrier than necessary when it involves family." Her bleached-white hair framed wide green eyes rimmed with charcoal black, which held both pity and a hint of admiration. "But damn, did you tell her," she smiled sadly. "Sorry I caused all this in the first place."

I shook my head. "No way, Saint. She needs to learn that the world does not revolve around her."

Saint nodded. "Hey," she said, thinking. "When's the last time you had coffee?"

I thought about it. "Been years," I told her.

She smiled faintly. "Want coffee?"

A few minutes later we sat sipping at mugs of coffee that she'd had in her bag. It was scalding hot and bitter, but the heat just filled me with a sense of invincibility and in that moment the flavor was so good, I almost cried when it was gone. Saint grinned. "Your face."

"Is amazing," I joked.

She snorted. "Is priceless. You look like you're about to cry."

I shrugged, changing the subject. "Don't you have to get home to your gang?" Her eyes closed slowly. "Yeah," Saint sighed. "I do. I'm sorry..."

I stared after my new friend--really, my only friend--as she trudged off into the desert and out of my sight.