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Ok here is part 7! haha Nano is almost done, that means Werewulf has almost hit 50,000 words! lol

Chapter 7.

"You sure he exists? You aren't pulling a Fight club on me are you?" Quinn asked with a playful grin, "You are still Kyle right? You're not secretly this Duke kid? Or...What was his name...Tyler something?" She snapped her fingers trying to remember the movie character.

"Derden," Kyle answered, "And no, I'm sure as hell that I didn't dream all that shit up, and that coffee was fantastic I most definitely didn't fake that."

"Well I'll believe you when I see him; my grandma lives on Winter street. I'm sure she would have mentioned neighbour with a kid moving in."

"Why would I make up a fake creepy kid?" Kyle asked, "Really I don't think I'm that sick in the head." Quinn ran a brush over his cheek again, "And are you sure it's okay?"

"No one will know this is make-up unless you rub it, so be careful dude. As for the psycho, I don't know but you aren't exactly an average case," she replied with concern in her voice, "Why aren't you doing something about this?" she asked, obviously not referring to Duke but to his step dad.

Kyle groaned, he hated this conversation because he always lost, "It's just, complicated. Anything I do always ends up with me in worse shit than I am now."

"Having a safe home doesn't seem terrible to me," she noted, but mercifully let it go. "And why aren't you wearing a fun hat?" she asked with a much different tone, flicking one of the bells on her jesters hat, "You and school spirit aren't in synch are you?"

"Not really," Kyle admitted, looking in the mirror as Quinn finished, "Oh my God thank you so much Quinn, you're the best."

"I know," she laughed, "Bow before me!" Kyle did a little bow making her shrug. "It'll have to do. However I'm not bringing you pyjamas in tomorrow for spirit day." She tossed him a winter hat with a little Frankenstein monster on it.

"Does this matter to you that much?" Kyle asked seriously, putting the hat on.

Quinn shrugged, getting up to leave the bathroom, "I'd just rather see you have fun and not be so normally you."

Kyle nodded and then processed what he heard, turning to her, "Hey!"

"You aren't the most fun loving social guy dude," she poked his belly, "And it's for complete lack of trying!"

"I know I know. Thanks again."

~~~~

Duke hadn't returned to school on time, so any claims that he was even alive were pointless for a while. Like him, Quinn assumed she would have heard about a new family, even more so with her various connections. Still, Kyle knew it was just a matter of time before the big lug returned, most likely with some hilarious and non-applicable excuse that many would find both hilarious and stupid. But like he had said, he was going to make friends.

Just informing Quinn of Duke's presence got Kyle more attention than he had gotten over the entire start of the first quarter. Girls in his classes asked of his tall compatriot, his level of sexiness being the prime concern. Kyle found it more than just a little insulting that they were shocked he didn't have an opinion on Duke's sex appeal.

Guys asked if Duke played sports, like he and Kyle had known each other forever or were cousins or something. It was scary similar to Duke's drawl on how every school worked all over.

The lanky kid was not used to being the centre of attention, and he didn't really like it. The constant breaking of personal space was concerning; he was never sure when he would turn around and find another question would be forming on some lustful, big breasted girls lips, or inquiries of Duke's size and muscle mass were asked from meat heads.

"I'm not sure how heavy he is."

"I guess he isn't ugly."

"I don't know, I'm not his doctor."

"Why would I think of him that way?!"

"I've known him for like, a day, I'm not sure."

"He says Winter Street."

He fielded answers constantly. Question after question after question passed his ears, and clueless response after vague reply, after smart ass remark, passed his lips. All the while he was praying Duke would show up and end his social suffering.

Third period rolled around and still no sign of the big fella. Someone somewhere would have told everyone or been made aware, through the grapevine of a small town high-school. Everyone knew he drove a dark green pick-up, was late, tall, handsome, and new. He was fresh meat. New people; it was rare to get that in Sweeton so Kyle understood, he just wished he wasn't the only direct source.

Even some of the cooler younger teachers were caught up in the hype and asked about their soon to be pupil. According to the schedule they got this morning one Duke Sights was supposed to be starting today and in most of Kyle's classes too. Their questions were even stranger because they were teachers; one even asking if Duke was at least moderately intelligent.

"I'm not sure Sir. He isn't retarded if that's what you're asking."

~~~~

It was fifth period now, Chemistry. The teacher was amazing, but the class itself was a total bore. It was one of those classes you took because it was mandatory and for the teacher. Not many did well, and even fewer would go on to use it for anything practical. That day they were talking about Magnesium and how it reacted in an unknown solution.

Kyle had his head propped up in his hand. Lunch was next, he really just wanted to eat and finish the day. Day dreams were a nice escape; everyone was supposed to be watching a video on the old projector so doodling was out of the question.

"Is that him?" One girl asked from the side of the class by the windows, instantly everyone knew what she meant and looked over, even Mr Harts. Hell, the old coot even stopped the video and walked over to the window himself when the class all grouped there.

Kyle got a good view with his height; sure enough Duke's run down pick up rolled into the parking lot. It was a bit pathetic in retrospect. Sweeton was so small that a new kid was this big a deal. Most watched in anticipation for the big reveal of their soon to be classmate, Kyle realizing he didn't need to be standing to see but remained for the sake of being one with the crowd.

Duke's door opened and as if he knew everyone was watching and waiting, he remained inside for about thirty seconds longer. "Seriously?" One girl asked, making the room laugh at their own ridiculousness.

But he finally got out and as all the previous rumours were confirmed girls swooned, guys nodded, and gossip began already...It was high-school after all.

The crazy was carrying three different bags, a standard backpack, a small gym bag, and a large duffle, "I thought you said he wasn't hot?" Some girl demanded, "He's fucking gorgeous."

"I said I don't judge men actually," Kyle stated plainly. The comment didn't really get better with repetition.

But that was all that really happened, the large crowd at the window built up to nothing more than talk. Duke walked up the walkway to the school doors, entered, and they could no longer see him. He was going to get his schedule and then most likely head to his locker and they all knew they would see him at lunch.

Life resumed its appearance of normality...

~~~~

Kyle took his seat in the lunch room overly greasy slice of pizza in hand. As in the mornings he sat off in a corner where no one really bothered him. Quinn would stop by on occasion, but other than that he would read or finish school work when he was finished eating. Kyle personally found it hilarious that even with ten minutes before lunch Duke was still late to the cafeteria.

It was kind of weird to see people over reacting over news. Normally he was the one at the end of the line of Intel. He wouldn't clamour to get the news, but he would normally be curious and wondering what all the fuss was about.

"So I hear your mystery child actually exists," Quinn stated, sitting beside him, watching out over the lunch room, "Does it always seem so crazy from over here?"

"It doesn't when you're in the mess of it?" Kyle batted back, taking a disgustingly soggy bite of lunch food, "And Duke does have a name as I'm sure you've heard by now."

She ignored his cocky reply about Duke, "It doesn't seem as bad when you're in there actually. You know people, somehow it lightens the load."

"Too much noise, I'll stick with watching and barfing from afar, this pizza is practically guaranteed to kill me at twenty five," he held it out with disgust, red grease and 'sauce' literally dripping off as if to prove his point.

"Then buy something that isn't crap genius!" She laughed at his stupidity, "And besides, there is more noise in your freaking IPod then there is in there, I guarantee it."

"Yeah right, at least I want to hear what's in my IPod, 'Oh my God, you took a black and white picture of a lawn chair and it's shadow. Ooooh you got it developed at Save-on, you must be so brooding and deep.'" He quoted Stewie Griffin for effect and then pulled out his buzzing phone.

Quinn laughed but punched his shoulder, "Shut up! Only sixty percent of them are that bad I promise! Ha-ha and 'She's a nice lady!" she shouted out in as close to a Zach Galifianakis voice as a seventeen year old girl could muster.

Kyle smiled at their shenanigans, reading the text of an unnamed contact.

"I think I'm lost. I'm at locker two twenty three.

Kyle had to re-read the text to make sure he had that right. The school wasn't that complicated, besides the fact that the two hundred lockers were on the second floor and not the first it really should not have been too hard to find one's way around the 'H' shaped building.

"You are so full of shit." Kyle responded quickly.

"Completely and entirely," Duke stated, sitting beside Kyle, "What on Earth are you all wearing?" He asked, referring to the hats and offering a wave to Quinn, "I'm Duke."

"Hat day," Kyle noted "It's Spirit Week."

Quinn seemed a bit surprised by his appearance and looked around behind them, offering her hand none the less. "...Quinn...did you come in through the window?"

They shook hands and Duke smiled, "To avoid all that?" He waved a finger at the mob of other people, "Hell yeah, Coffee?"

Kyle cast Quinn a knowing look of victory, "Sure, if you remembered. Want some Quinn?"

She glared evilly, "I don't partake in revenge, and Duke you seem more afraid of the crowds then Kyle and he's a big chicken." She elbowed him with a little more force then was strictly necessary between friends.

"Nah, I just don't feel like not eating during lunch, I'm surprised at how ignored..." Some girls started walking over. "I spoke too soon," Duke sighed, handing some coffee to Kyle and Quinn in little cups. The thermos had been in the backpack along with a big sandwich with all the works and some chips.

"So you're Duke?" The first one over asked shyly, but with a big grin that screamed, 'I'm a slut look how cute I am!'

"Yup," It was uncharacteristically simple, but characteristically vague and planned. Kyle had to grin behind the coffee cup; Duke wasn't even really looking at her.

"I'm Lyne," she introduced herself undeterred by his short answer or too stupid to see it as him not being interested.

"Hello there Lyne,"

Kyle was pretty sure he was going to find this too funny, but with the mini mob of people descending on the table he stood up with his coffee in hand and patted Duke on the shoulder, "Good luck, and thanks for the drink."

Duke turned around fast, his shaggy brown hair swinging around with his face which looked up in a strange combination of disappointment, terror and shock, "You can't be serious. You're gunna just leave me here with all these guys!?" He started to stand up too but it was Quinn that stopped him.

"Oh no you don't. It'll be better to get this over with now so it won't happen sporadically for the next week," she said simply. It was an incredibly Quinn thing to do, fight with logic but still where the devious grin of someone who just successfully manipulated you. She saw Kyle going to leave, "Hey look at the bright side, you're braver than that wimp."

"I'd rather be leaving," he replied honestly.

Kyle walked down the hall with a victorious grin. It was a relief to see Duke actually in school, for some reason Kyle almost didn't believe he would show up. It was almost like Kyle had imagined Duke didn't attend school, he didn't seem the type. Hell the kid ranted about personal freedoms. Somehow Duke being there confirmed his existence for real. He hadn't exactly believed Duke was fake; but everything about him was crazy.

~~~~

"You're positive you didn't plan this?" Kyle asked for the tenth time, gazing up from Duke's schedule. The paper in his hand was almost a carbon copy of his own. They shared six out of eight classes including lunch, and the locker on the page was just down the hall from his own, "I mean honestly, I won't ask how but did you have anything to do with this?"

"I already told you I didn't plan it." Duke said again, trying to wiggle the large duffle bag from his locker, how he got it inside in the first place was a mystery. "I don't lie about stuff."

"Kyle how did you skip a lecture about your face all day?" Quinn asked, "I swear I meant to give you one," She always gave him the rundown of how to approach a counsellor and get himself some help when he came in beaten up.

"I was lucky, and besides it's not like I'm limping," he tossed in, "Everything will be healed up in no time flat."

"You shouldn't have to do any healing though Kyle," Quinn responded seriously, "I've kept my original promise but this is getting ridiculous."

"What...Promise?" Duke asked in a grumble, finally yanking the offending bag from its tiny metal home, "And do you want a ride?" he asked, jingling his keys.

"I guess thanks. But seriously what's in that bag, a body? You were only here for like two hours," Kyle noted grinning.

He shrugged the bag over his shoulder and shrugged again as an answer, "Just stuff, nothing too monumentally important. But I have to get out of here, I have a feeling people already know my car..." he noted.

"I get it, I'll hurry up," Kyle said walking down to his locker, Quinn on his heels.

She leaned into the locker next to him, and took her hat back, "So I'm confused," she admitted, "Is Duke a good guy or a knife wielding crazy? You seem pretty buddy buddy with him for THAT to have happened."

"It DID happen, and he is a good guy, I'll just have be careful around him. He seems harmless enough, but just a little off; I can't exactly place it." It was that all confusing paradox of welcoming and fear again eating away at his sanity.

Quinn played with the Frankenstein hat absently, not looking at Kyle anymore, "Well I'm glad you found a guy friend Kyle."

Kyle gave her a look, "That's a weird thing to say, I have plenty of guy friends dufus."

"NO, you KNOW guys and call them friends, but really when was the last time you hung out with those chain smokers? You hate the smell of pot."

"Fair enough," Kyle conceded, throwing on the fur lined coat and tossing his bag over his shoulder, "But I wouldn't call him a 'friend' just yet exactly." He stumbled clumsily over the words. It was hard to explain in words, concepts that you didn't even understand in theory.

"Really? You're getting a ride home with him," she pointed out, "You don't even let ME drive you home!" It wasn't angry, just loud enough to make a point, "I'm not mad Kyle, I'm happy okay? It's nice to finally see you accepting someone."

He wasn't sure how to reply, he felt his face heat up in embarrassment. How do you reply to praise when you have no experience being praised? "Thanks I think?" Kyle managed, "And thanks for the hat." He was about to walk and looked back at her, pointing a finger at her, his inner friend awakened, "And for the record I don't take your rides because of who else you drive home."

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, but it all goes back to you being awkward," she stuck her tongue out as he walked away, "You're such a baby!" she yelled down the halls affectionately, voice lost in the chaos of leaving school.

Kyle grinned a bit but really thought back on her words, they were all true unfortunately. He didn't have a single quality friend, Quinn being the exception, and he never opened up. But somehow Duke's strangeness made it different.

"Ready?" The shaggy haired kid asked. Kyle nodded and followed him through the hall to his car.

Until Quinn pointed it out Kyle hadn't noticed, but he really was giving Duke many more chances and much more acceptance than many others before him. Not that Kyle had a long line of wanna be friends, but he had had his entire school career to make friends and only a few had really stuck at any one point. Even fewer lasted periods of time.

~~~~

"Jesus Christ, do you guys ever get even a passer-by?" Duke asked, "They act like I'm from another planet or something. I mean did you see how many were surrounding my car?!" He exclaimed, the two finally having left the parking lot. "I mean really, the best question I got was that one girl asking about my car. Why do people want to know what I can bench or what sports I play?"

Kyle cast him a confused smile; it was so great seeing someone dopier than himself trying to figure out the intricacies of the average social network. "It's basic conversation dude, they just want to get to know you."

"But why?! I'm one guy and I just got here. I'm not interested in what they are selling!" he groaned.

"But they don't know that, they just want to see who you are. You act like they already know you aren't interested in so and so, or sport or anything. They know nothing about you except that you are new and you are apparently good looking," he looked around into the back, "And they were close enough to learn you are a slob."

Duke smacked him in the chest, "Not cool, I know where everything in this car is!" He exclaimed. They shared a laugh, further making the situation a conundrum for Kyle. He just didn't do this normally, and apparently his confliction showed. "You okay?" Duke asked breaking him from his thoughts, but making him stare out the window.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a lot on my mind that's all, and shouldn't your eyes be on the road?"

"Fair enough, but really, what's eating you?"

Kyle shrugged, "These last two days have been weird and full of surprises, and it's not even hump day." He looked over at Duke hoping he would buy the probably excuse.

"Long week ahead," Duke agreed, "I'm sorry if I'm making your life difficult," he apologized, "I know I can be a handful; I mean, I'm sure that most of the time two people who just met give car rides huh?"

"No they don't," Kyle agreed, "But you don't strike me as the average guy. Speaking of which, you never did explain how you got that game set up last night, and don't tell me your family because that's just nuts! No family would do that for...that sole reason."

"Why do you find it weird a family wanted their son and brother to have fun?" Duke asked honestly in that annoying way he asked questions. The answer was obvious, it was just not common. It was a sad truth that families were not that close or that cool with something so out there, at least not normal families in Sweeton.

Kyle rolled his eyes, "If you really don't want to tell me..." he started.

"I'm not lying." Duke snapped, stopping him midstride.

"Will you at least tell me you aren't telling me all of the truth? You are either lying or leaving something out or fibbing or something."

"Okay fibbing and lying are the same thing," Duke clarified.

"Not the point."

"I know, but I feel bad not telling you the full truth, trust me, but I was sworn to secrecy by a secret society."

"You're so full of SHIT!" Kyle laughed.

Duke went with it, crossing his heart to affirm his innocence. "True story, there was initiation and everything."

"What cult is this then?" Kyle asked, "Or will you have to kill me if you tell me?"

"Exactly, and I said society not cult, you make us sound evil and messed up," Duke feigned being hurt, "So what's the plan later?"

"Plan with what?" Kyle asked, not sure where the sudden shift in conversation went.

"Our games, what's next tonight? I'm letting you pick, but you can't pick doing nothing," he clarified in a semi-serious tone.

"Wow, this again?" Kyle asked, "I need to get some sleep tonight dude, I don't feel like playing anything."

Duke pulled into Kyle's driveway and parked, "Aww, why not? We could anything you want it doesn't have to be at the park," he noted.

"What is your obsession with games?" Kyle asked, opening the door to get out, "Seriously I have no idea why it's so easy being friends with you, you're a wacko sometimes."

A big stupid smile crossed Duke's face and Kyle wasn't sure if he liked it, "You said 'friends'," he answered the unasked question, "I didn't have to say it, you said it."

Kyle looked with a sort of friendly hate; he had said 'friends.' Everything about this was so against character, and he still didn't care. He knew he was going to think up a game, but he would do it later, "Slip of the tongue," he stated simply walking to his door.

"That's not very nice," Duke shouted after him, "And are you going to be okay alone?"

"I'll be fine," Kyle said opening his door, "You're like a watch dog you know that? Overly protective of new people."

Duke caught him by the arm, appearing again without seemingly having time to get out of the truck and then stared at him, "I meant are you going to be okay in general? You have to be able to defend yourself dude. That wasn't pretty this morning, and I don't know what went down so correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you put up much of a physical fight against that guy."

Kyle froze, his face getting warm in a mix of embarrassment and anger, "It's none of your business what happened, I'll be okay."

Duke sighed, letting go, "I'm your friend Kyle, even if you aren't mine, I'm yours. So it does matter to me if you get hurt. But point taken, I didn't mean to intrude on your personal life...Quinn cares too by the way."

"Believe me I know that," Kyle noted, grateful for the shift in mood being only temporary. He wanted to thank Duke for caring but it didn't feel right. "I'll see you tomorrow watch dog."

"Tonight?" he asked referring to Kyle's choice of game.

"Okay tonight," Kyle conceded, "But you're still a freaking mother hen."

Kyle was halfway inside when, "What can I say, it's in my blood!" Rang out and Duke drove away.

The lanky boy made his way into the empty home and proceeded to get food before doing his work. "Games..." he wondered aloud, "What games do I know...?"