Ashley’s eyes were wide in horror. “Please tell me that you’re joking…”

Easy laughed lightly. “’Fraid not. Let’s just say that I know how the Hulk feels now. Anyway, he had to go to the hospital, and, duh, my mom found out, so she figured out what I had been up to for the past few years, and it was awful. It kinda opened my eyes to everything, so I quit it all – except smoking and I only do that when I need to, mind you. I don’t like it. Mom sent me to therapy and all that fun shit. Now here I am.”

“Oh, therapy. Now there’s something I know,” Ashley cut in.

“Oh, do you?”

“You have no idea… when you’ve got parents like mine… whoo…”

Easy nodded and stood up. He offered a hand to Ashley, “Well, someday, maybe we can hear your story.”

She smiled and took his hand, “Sure, but it’s nowhere near as intense as yours.”

“No matter.”

They walked quietly out of the barn. Ashley was thinking about everything that Easy had said and confided in her. She didn’t understand why he opened up like he had, but she was glad that he did. Keeping stuff like that to yourself is hard to deal with.

Something struck her suddenly. “Easy?”

He turned and looked at her, “Yes’m?”

“Why don’t you visit your father’s grave?”

Easy frowned slightly. “Because I can’t face him. After all that happened, I just can’t.”

–

They were walking back to where they first were when Spencer left them to go see Chuck.

“Dude, no, that’s ridiculous,” Ashley laughed.

“C’mon, you have to answer,” Easy prodded. “Would you rather only being able to chew food on one side of your mouth for the rest of your life or wear a sock on only one foot?”

“God, you’re so retarded… the food thing, I guess. Only wearing one sock is weird.”

“Ooh, how about this: would you rather be chased by a bunch of deer or a bunch of mooses?”

Ashley shot him a puzzling glance. “Uhm, that’s not the plural of moose… I think it’s moosi.”

“Fuck off, it’s meese.”

Ashley looked at Easy; Easy looked at Ashley. Neither of them had said that.

Ashley turned around and saw Spencer behind them, smirking with her arms crossed over her chest.

Easy laughed. “Shit, Squirt, LA turn you into a sailor, or what?” He looked down at Ashley with a knowing look.

“Hey, hey! Don’t look at me,” she protested. “I don’t know who that is. My Spencer is all happy sunshine. This is obviously an imposter,” she concluded with a nod.

Spencer rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up.”

“Ooh, sassy,” Easy joked as he walked over to her and threw his arm around her shoulders.

Ashley smirked when she noticed he had a bit of snow in his other hand. Without warning, he smashed it in Spencer’s face making her scream.

“You ass!” she squealed. Spencer immediately bent down and scooped up snow for herself trying to hit Easy with it, but he was too quick.

Ashley laughed at both their antics, but quickly regretted doing so when they both froze and looked at her. Evil smirks gracing both their features.

“Oh, fuck me…”