Chapter Text
"Why'd ye do it, lad?"
Uncle Edward's voice was disappointed. Montgomery didn't look up -- he couldn't -- but he chewed on his lip and he felt some mix between scared and angry, and he didn't know what he was supposed to say in answer, and so, he didn't. His cousin Alan had been mean, and he didn't know why, but Alan had said he was messed up, like in the head, and Montgomery didn't do anything about that, they were just words, but then Alan had shoved him in the back, not really that hard like he was trying to get his attention, and Montgomery had turned around and punched him so hard in the nose that it bled, and he wasn't even sure why he did, but he did.
Alan was three years older, and he still went running back to his Da crying.
"Montgomery..." Edward said, softly, like it was a breath out and not his name. He reached out, and when his hand came into Montgomery's peripheral vision, Montgomery jerked back, looking up for a moment with his teeth clenched.
Edward was blinking in surprise, confusion. And maybe... like sad or angry, almost, but not quite. "Lad, what's gotten inta ye?"
"I dinna ken," Montgomery finally answered, head down again, bottom lip quivering. "I'm sorry."
He just avoided Alan after that.
"Mom, it's icky! She won't quit following me around!"
Andy had a legitimate grievance. Sally Nash wanted him to be her boyfriend, and he didn't want to be, because girls were weird and he had absolutely no desire to go hold hands and kiss or whatever they were supposed to do, especially since Sally didn't like it when he'd shown her the dead lobster that had washed up on shore.
"You made her cry, Andy," his mother said, giving him The Look, the one where she crossed her arms and leaned on the counter and it made him squirm.
He didn't mean to make Sally cry, but she wouldn't leave him alone and it just wasn't fair that he was getting in trouble when she was the one who wouldn't quit bothering him.
"Andy..."
It was Mom's warning voice, to go with The Look. And even though Andy wanted to protest again, he knew better.
He did sigh, though, as put upon as he could. "Okay, okay. I'll tell her I'm sorry. Tomorrow."
His mother pointed to the comm box. "Not tomorrow."
Andy made a face, but he went and said he was sorry.