Log:We All Have to Play Our Roles

2020/05/16 Evan Phantom|Travis 1

Travis is seated at a booth with a rootbeer float and fries, with a mountain of ketchup on the side of the plate.

Travis is wearing one of the new outfits. A more fitted black shirt of soft jersey cotton material, high quality, and jeans that fit more flattering. No letterman jacket. But he has his raybans on again.

Evan slouches in dressed in his usual outfit. The only change is his t-shirt which today reads in white font on the black tee: You disgree? I am both challenged and refreshed by your unique point of view.

He makes his way over to your table, making certain to look at you, the other patrons and your booth as he approaches. "Hello, fearless leader," he murmurs as he slings his bag into the bench seat across from you, following a moment later.

Travis disagrees, holding up a ketchup-laden fry like a finger of objection. "I am neither fearless nor your leader," he grins, pushing the large plate of fries over to share with Evan.

Evan chuckles. "Well, when the other teens ask, it's what I'm telling them. IF only to tick off Tessa," he murmurs as he takes a fry and then looks around. "Do they have any...ah, there it is," he remarks as he grabs the mustard.

"She'll -love- that," Travis chuckles, swirling a fry in the swimming pool of ketchup.

Evan pours some mustard on a free area of the plate and dips his fry. He's silent for a minute or so while he consumes fries then says, "I see Summer and Tessa succeeded in Mission: Ken Doll." He looks at you for a long moment then nods. "It looks good on you, dude. But you're backsliding with the sunglasses again."

Travis cringes. "Mustard and fries?" he asks as if that were sacrilege. He groans as he's reminded of the Ken Droll mission and his sunglasses. "Right. I was taking a break from focusing," he sighs at the reminder. He closes his eyes and pulls off the sunglasses, folding them and hanging it onto the front of his collar. "I don't really think they changed much. Still tees and jeans. Just different brands," he says as he opens his blue-gray eyes and lifts his gaze to make eye contact with Evan.

Evan smiles slightly at the eye contact. "Very good, dude. By showing your eyes it allows people to see you have a soul. Makes people all comfort-zoned."

As he turns back to eating he fries, he says, "Yeah, not norm but I like the taste. Ketchup's too sweet." He adds after a moment, "And yeah, brands and branding are all part of the whole fitting-in scene for jocks, preps and such. Really, all the cliques, just different shick."

Travis shifts a bit. "I thought I was supposed to be hiding my lack of one," he chuckles. Part of him feels uncomfortable about it, though. "Yeah, I guess I got to fit in if we're going to get into that inner circle and figure out what they're doing to the girls they trick into going to their parties." He picks a fry, takes a moment to decide, then tries things Evan's way and dips in the mustard. He takes a bite. And then... "No. Just...no." He double dips in the ketchup and eats the rest of the fry.

Evan shrugs. "Different tastes, dude, different tastes. Just means more mustard for me." To which point he dips his newest fry into the yellow condiment.

"And it's not just about getting in with the inner circle, Travis: it's also about making everyone think we're all normal so no one suspects about any of us."

He eats naoth few fries then states, "Which, brings me to me. You and Summer have to start ignoring me at school, dude. Both of you, well you more than her since while you're both popular, you're also a jock." He waves a hand. "In any case, even though I do gymnastics, you've got to go along with ignoring me like the other jocks. I say ignoring me cause that's the best option and I've enough grief with enough meatheads without you pretned adding to it, pos?"

Travis cringes a little. "I'm not sure I want to be part of that group if that's what they do to girls," he grumbles, even though he knows it's part of the plan.

He looks taken aback by Evan's request. "What, seriously? You want us to just pretend you're not our friend?" he asks, sounding wounded.

"Um, yeah? Cause in the stupid rules of high schools, jocks and preps are supposed to tolerate someone like me, not be openly friends with me." He shrugs. "We're playing roles here, Travis. To fit in and by doing so, not be noticed as who and what we really are. You all can be friendly, but not friends in public with me at best, dude."

"And don't get me wrong, Travis, jocks are, for the most part, OK. Bad ones like Pierce make all of you look bad."

Travis frowns in disappointment as he grabs two fries and jabs them into the ketchup, bending them. He sighs. "Right. I remember. We all have to play our roles." He eats his fries, not happy with it, but it is what it is. "I hoped I could influence them to be better, but I'm not going to be able to change the world. We just have to live in it. You'll at least tell us if someone gets rough with you, right?"

Evan looks around for a moment then says in a quieter voice, "Travis, just cause I look like an easily breakable twink, doesn't mean I am one. While my mutations are more cerebral than muscular, I'm still Cateran's son, may she rot in Hell. I'm tougher than I look. Plus, I regenerate. Nothing short of some jock setting me on fire is gonna last, dude. And I promsie I'll kick their asses and bring them to you if they do, pos?"

"Also, dude, maybe you and Summer can change things, but, first, we got to catch Pierce and the others. After that, yeah, you all can try ya know?"

He holds out a fist to you. "And no matter what, /I/ know we're friends, dude. Doesn;'t matter if anyone at Bayside knows."

Travis is grumpily satisfied at Evan assuring him he's tough. "Didn't mean to suggest you can't take care of yourself. I'm just...I care about my friends." And is at times overly protective, which is ironic, since they treat him as if he's the one who needs protecting.

The offer of a fistbump does wonders to smooth things over with Travis. He reaches out and bumps fist with perfect aim. "Good. Don't want you to forget it," he smiles. "And yeah...maybe we can." He looks a bit more seriously. "After we take down Pierce and the others. We gotta hurry up and figure out a plan before Mystery goes homicidal on them. Not that I feel terrible about that."

"Well, since she'd be locked up for like forever by the laws here, best we keep her free, dude," states Evan with another shrug.

"On a completely unrelated note, Mr Newhouse, the foreign languages teacher, suspects I'm doing French homework for people so they'll leave me alone. He asked me about it today. I told him he was totes wrong naturally...which is complete lie...I'm doing it for money. SO...just in case he asks you for some reason, I've never done any homework for anyone for any reason, pos?"

Travis nods. "Her little sister's already gone through hell. Can't let her lose her big sister on top of that," he says with resolve.

The change of topic causes Travis to worry briefly where it's going, but then he laughs when Evan confesses he's doing it all for pay. "Should've known you wouldn't be doing that for free. If he asks, I know nothing," he puts his hand (with fry clutched) over his heart.

"Also, if any other teachers or shick ask, I'm not doing any type of homework or projects for anyone, OK? Cause I;ve got a pretty good deal going with, well, I'll leave my clients names out, pos?"

"I'll just say 'Evan who?' if they ask me anything," Travis grins and eats his fry.

Evan nods slightly. "I'm still trying how to take standardized tests for peeps. If you get any ideas, I'll cut you in," he says with a grin as he dips more mustard.

Travis shrugs and thinks a moment. "I haven't really got any ideas that wouldn't involve using my powers to pass along answers."

Evan sighs softly as he munches a fry. "Yeah, I couldn't think of any way using your power set either. And it wouldn't pay near well enough to risk you doin' that, dude. Same with Tyson pretending to be the test taker." He shrugs. "I'm certain I'll come up with something. It'll give me something to think about during classes."

"I'm sure you'll figure some self-destructing device that'll help pass along the answers," Travis jokes.