It didn't bother her, though. Her crush on Travis had long faded. The more she hung out with him, the more she realized she just saw him as a guy friend. For awhile she had flirted with him outrageously and he had obviously enjoyed it, but he had never noticed or taken her cues that she was ready to be ravished. Now she was glad he had been oblivious. Being tangled up with Travis would have only complicated everything.
Of course it was complicated enough because Katie was gay. She felt pretty bad that Travis was setting himself up for a world of hurt.
Of course, Juan was feeling that hurt all too clearly right now.
"Juan?"
"Loca, I'm not in the mood," Juan answered briskly as he headed down into the fort.
"I was just going to say how sorry-"
Juan turned toward her, pointing at her with a fierce look on his face.
"Don't. "
Jenni nodded. "Okay. "
Juan turned on the very muddy, gory heels of his cowboy boots and headed straight for the city hall. Peggy was there talking to the two newcomers. Curtis was there as well. Things already looked strained and heated and Juan marched right up to the young man and punched him square in his greasy face.
"Whoa, Juan!"
Curtis grabbed Juan and Jenni quickly stepped forward just in case the spaced out looking girl did anything. But she only stood there; looking mildly bemused by it all, swaying back and forth.
The boy slowly rose up, fastened his eyes on Juan and just said, "That hurt. "
"You went into the fucking clinic!"
"Hey, we were in need of…medicinal treatment," the boy answered.
His eyes were so red they looked as if the blood vessels had ruptured in them and his skin looked clammy. Jenni realized the reason for all the anger.
She was looking at two very strung out young people who had probably gone into the clinic looking for their next high.
"Meth is not medicine, fucker," Juan spat furiously, trying to squirm away from Curtis.
Peggy looked at Jenni and whispered, "You're looking at the local crystal meth dealer. "
Jenni nodded and frowned a bit more. "I think we may need Bill, too. "
Peggy looked at Curtis, who looked far too young and nervous. "You're right. " She rushed off to find Bill.
"Where's the rest of your posse, huh? Where are they?" Juan's voice was close to fury.
"Dead, dude. It was bad. Real bad," the boy answered.
The girl began to giggle.
Curtis pushed Juan behind him. "Ritchie, you went to the clinic for drugs and you got your friends eaten, huh?"
Ritchie frowned and shook his head. "It's not like that, man. We needed medicine. Carrie got bit and we needed medicine. "
Everyone immediately looked at the girl. She was busy staring at outdoor light bulb over Curtis' head.
"Those things kept trying to get into the 7-11 we were shacking up in. It got real crazy. "
"Which 7-11?" Curtis raised an eyebrow.
"You know, the one over by the McGee place. There was a lot of those things there. "