Quoted By:
"I'm an adult," you snap. "How old are <span class="mu-i">you?</span> You look super old. You look like you're practically about to die."
"Uh... I'm 25..."
He doesn't actually look super old. If anything, his gross acne shaves half a decade off, at the expense of making him gross and diseased-looking. "Wow. I thought you were 40. What's your name, anyways?"
".....Gil. Uh, Wallace. I'm Teddy Wallace's cousin? I don't know if you saw him out there—"
"I don't care about your old man cousin. So, Gil, if they come knocking, you're going to tell them that C.R. Fawkins did her time and fixed all the tackles or whatever the shit. She did that really good. And that's all you gotta say, alright? Super easy. Okay, bye!"
"...C.R.?"
"That's the name! Don't wear it out! Okay, bye for—"
CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP
"—for, uh—"
CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP
"—um, I— sorry, I— I— ohh!"
—
You are Charlotte Fawkins. Your fingers are curled around a little metal bird, which you stash back in your pocket. Gil is sitting right there, right at the table with all the fishing stuff on it— he has his usual face and everything, though he's wearing a silly furry hat. You shake the rest of the Claudia out of you and refocus. "Gil!"
"Huh?"
"It's me! It's Charlotte! I was looking for you— I thought I found you, but it was actually Teddy, I guess, I thought you'd be in him— you know, like last time—"
"What?" Gil frowns. "Charlotte? I don't—"
"Uh, yeah? That's what the 'C' is for. Charlotte Fawkins. Anyways, I thought I found you, but I didn't, which I completely blame on Horse Face— Horse Face is here, by the way, which I think has to be <span class="mu-i">your</span> fault, but we can talk about that later— we should get going now! Gil?"
You really don't like the expression on his face. It's the kind of expression Teddy had. "Uh... I, I think you got the wrong person? You were looking for my cousin?"
"No? I was looking for you? I didn't know you had a cousin."
"You— you just said him. Teddy Wallace? He's in the—"
You fold your arms. "I know you liked him, but that doesn't mean he's actually your cousin, Gilbert. I mean, <span class="mu-i">maybe</span> he's your great-great-great-great-great-great—"
"Uh... have you had anything to drink lately? Miss?"
"Miss?! Gil, I—" There is zero recognition in his eyes. "Gil! I have not had a single thing to drink! I had a delicious goose leg, if you must know, and I was going to recommend the sauce to you, since they made it out of leaves, but if you're going to be like this—"
(2/3)
