XM:FC Bingo - 1st square
Jul. 25th, 2013 11:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_qWork title: The Fixer
Rating: gen
Content Notes: none
Bingo square: AU – boarding school
Summary: Alex needs more phone cards and he has to go ask them from McCoy.
Alex stood behind the bookshelf, one row to the left, and considered his options. McCoy sat at the table in the corner, writing down something. He had several books open in front of him. He looked busy, and Alex wasn't sure if he should bother him.
The librarian walked past him down the aisle, and gave him a curious glance. He had been standing in the same spot for some time now. Alex smiled apologetically to her and snatched a book from the shelf, just to do something.
He couldn't make up his mind. He didn't have to go to McCoy. He could turn and leave, but if he did, it would be same as giving up on Darwin and he wasn't ready to do that. Then again, McCoy never fixed anything for free.
He pushed the book back to its place and straightened up, grabbing his book bag under his arm. He took a deep breath and walked around the bookshelf, straight toward McCoy's table, trying hard to look casual. He pulled a chair and sat down without waiting for a permission. McCoy didn't notice him, or ignored him on purpose. Alex coughed.
McCoy finished the sentence, his handwriting straight as arrow across the page. He looked up.
"Yes?"
"I need a favor."
He frowned, like he had never heard that before. “Yes?”
"Phone cards,” Alex said quick, deciding to get it out before McCoy would tell him to leave. “I need phone cards.”
“The administration is on the third floor, east wing. Open during office hours. You can buy phone cards from the secretary."
"I'm low on funds. Some one said you might be able to help."
McCoy pushed his glasses up, frowning again. "Who said that?"
Alex shrugged in reply. He wasn't going to rat on Sean. Besides, he was sure McCoy was on the map about what people talked about him. He had to be, in his business. The question was a test to see if Alex would be stupid enough to give up names. He wasn't.
"So, cards?"
”How many? And when?” McCoy asked, turning a new page from his notebook.
”Ten,” Alex said, not daring to ask for the actual amount. “And I need them now.”
McCoy took a closer look of him. Alex leaned back, crossing his arms in defense. He needed a favor, not judgment. McCoy tapped his pen against the notebook.
”That's a lot of phone cards. Why do you need them for?”
”None of your business. You got them or not?”
”Phone cards are a hot commodity, easy to move,” he said quietly, twirling the pen in his fingers. ”I can sympathize about your lack of finances, but you do understand that I will know if you try to sell them again. It won't end well for you.”
Alex had heard what had happened those that had tried to compete with McCoy. Dozen different stories circled around the school about him, how he had gotten people expelled, scared some kid out of his wits. Alex was sure most of the stories were bullshit, but some of it had to be true. That made him cautious.
”I don't care about your business, I just need those phone cards, alright? They are all for me, I swear.”
He shrugged. ”I don't know you. Why should I trust you?”
”Does that mean you won't give them to me?”
”Take it as you like. Now go away. I have a paper to write.”
Alex had an impulse to reach over the table and toss all his papers to the floor, but instead he got up, took his bag and walked out of the library. He went straight outside, breathing in the cold air, and smacked his bag against the frozen ground.
”Shit!”
He didn't know what else to do. He needed those cards. Without them, he would never find Darwin. He sat down on the stairs, staring up to the cold sky. He figured he would just sit here and let the snow cover him. That would be a fitting end for such a loser. The door opened behind him, and he heard Sean coming down the stairs. He sat down next to him, shivering with cold.
”What happened?”
”It was a bust. He wouldn't give them to me,” Alex said.
”What did you offer?”
”He didn't give me a chance to offer anything! He thought I'm trying to sell those cards.”
”Yeah, well, did you tell him you wouldn't?”
”I tried. The good it did.” Alex kicked his bag. “Fuck. Now what?”
”He doesn't know you, that's the problem,” Sean said. “You have to tell him something that will make him trust you. Explain the situation. He has a soft spot for problems like that.”
”I'm not telling that asshole anything.”
”Do you have a better plan?” Sean stood up. “You know I would give you money if I had any, but I'm skint until next month. Now, take your bag, go back inside, and tell McCoy you need those cards because you have lost your boyfriend.”
”Shut up.”
”Special friend? Gentleman caller? Love muffin?”
“Ok, stop it!” Alex got up and picked up the bag from the ground, brushing the dirt off. ”But if I tell him, what will stop him from going around the school, telling everyone?”
”Information is currency around here, dummy. McCoy knows a lot of secrets, that's why no one wants to mess with him. Too much to lose.”
Alex shook his head. ”I don't like it.”
”It's not the worse thing he knows. Trust me.”
Sean walked with him back to the library and nudged him inside. Alex went back to the far corner, where McCoy still sat in the same position, the pen moving steadily over the paper. He was halfway through the notebook. Alex pulled the chair and sat down without waiting for McCoy to notice him. One invitation, it had to be still open, right?
McCoy looked up, surprised. ”You again.”
”Yeah. I really need those cards.”
”Third floor, secretary's office. I can write down the directions for you.”
”Cut the crap. I know you got cards. I'm willing to buy them.”
”I believe you said you are low on funds.”
Alex nodded. If he had money, there wouldn't be a problem.
”Then I don't understand what you want me to do?” McCoy leaned back on his chair, snapping the pen over the notebook. “Are you suggesting I should give them to you out of the goodness of my heart?”
”We get one sixty minute card every month, right? You give me ten now, and I'll give mine to you, for the next ten months.”
“That only makes us even. Where's the profit?” McCoy noted. “And if you get caught with ten cards, then what? I'm in trouble for nothing, and you still haven't told me why you need that many cards.”
Alex considered it for a moment. “I need the cards to track down my friend, alright? I think he's in trouble, and I have to find him. I can't go looking for him, so I have to call around.”
“And you need ten hours of phone calls for that? Must be an important friend.”
“He's my boyfriend.” Alex crossed his arms, deciding he wouldn't say anything more about it, and if McCoy made any kind of remark, he was going to punch him.
Instead McCoy nodded, like he had gotten Alex all figured out now, and turned the pages of his notebook, until he reached the back cover. The phone cards were lodged there in a neat row. He selected one and pushed it over the table. It was like any other standard issue phone card Alex had seen, only there was a small golden dot in the right side corner.
“I'll take your ten cards, and top of that, you owe me a favor. One day, I'll ask you to do something, and you'll do it, without questions. Deal?”
Alex reached for the card and slid it to his side. “How much is in it?”
“It shows sixty minutes, but it's a cracked card. When its empty, pull the card out, change the phone, and there will be sixty minutes again. It won't run out.”
Alex stared at it like the card had turned to gold in his hands.
McCoy turned the pages back to where he had been writing. "Good luck finding your friend. And now go away, and don't bother me again."
"Thank you," Alex said and got up. If he moved fast, he could get few phone calls done before the curfew. He would find Darwin, he was sure of it. This had to be a good omen.
It had to be.
Rating: gen
Content Notes: none
Bingo square: AU – boarding school
Summary: Alex needs more phone cards and he has to go ask them from McCoy.
Alex stood behind the bookshelf, one row to the left, and considered his options. McCoy sat at the table in the corner, writing down something. He had several books open in front of him. He looked busy, and Alex wasn't sure if he should bother him.
The librarian walked past him down the aisle, and gave him a curious glance. He had been standing in the same spot for some time now. Alex smiled apologetically to her and snatched a book from the shelf, just to do something.
He couldn't make up his mind. He didn't have to go to McCoy. He could turn and leave, but if he did, it would be same as giving up on Darwin and he wasn't ready to do that. Then again, McCoy never fixed anything for free.
He pushed the book back to its place and straightened up, grabbing his book bag under his arm. He took a deep breath and walked around the bookshelf, straight toward McCoy's table, trying hard to look casual. He pulled a chair and sat down without waiting for a permission. McCoy didn't notice him, or ignored him on purpose. Alex coughed.
McCoy finished the sentence, his handwriting straight as arrow across the page. He looked up.
"Yes?"
"I need a favor."
He frowned, like he had never heard that before. “Yes?”
"Phone cards,” Alex said quick, deciding to get it out before McCoy would tell him to leave. “I need phone cards.”
“The administration is on the third floor, east wing. Open during office hours. You can buy phone cards from the secretary."
"I'm low on funds. Some one said you might be able to help."
McCoy pushed his glasses up, frowning again. "Who said that?"
Alex shrugged in reply. He wasn't going to rat on Sean. Besides, he was sure McCoy was on the map about what people talked about him. He had to be, in his business. The question was a test to see if Alex would be stupid enough to give up names. He wasn't.
"So, cards?"
”How many? And when?” McCoy asked, turning a new page from his notebook.
”Ten,” Alex said, not daring to ask for the actual amount. “And I need them now.”
McCoy took a closer look of him. Alex leaned back, crossing his arms in defense. He needed a favor, not judgment. McCoy tapped his pen against the notebook.
”That's a lot of phone cards. Why do you need them for?”
”None of your business. You got them or not?”
”Phone cards are a hot commodity, easy to move,” he said quietly, twirling the pen in his fingers. ”I can sympathize about your lack of finances, but you do understand that I will know if you try to sell them again. It won't end well for you.”
Alex had heard what had happened those that had tried to compete with McCoy. Dozen different stories circled around the school about him, how he had gotten people expelled, scared some kid out of his wits. Alex was sure most of the stories were bullshit, but some of it had to be true. That made him cautious.
”I don't care about your business, I just need those phone cards, alright? They are all for me, I swear.”
He shrugged. ”I don't know you. Why should I trust you?”
”Does that mean you won't give them to me?”
”Take it as you like. Now go away. I have a paper to write.”
Alex had an impulse to reach over the table and toss all his papers to the floor, but instead he got up, took his bag and walked out of the library. He went straight outside, breathing in the cold air, and smacked his bag against the frozen ground.
”Shit!”
He didn't know what else to do. He needed those cards. Without them, he would never find Darwin. He sat down on the stairs, staring up to the cold sky. He figured he would just sit here and let the snow cover him. That would be a fitting end for such a loser. The door opened behind him, and he heard Sean coming down the stairs. He sat down next to him, shivering with cold.
”What happened?”
”It was a bust. He wouldn't give them to me,” Alex said.
”What did you offer?”
”He didn't give me a chance to offer anything! He thought I'm trying to sell those cards.”
”Yeah, well, did you tell him you wouldn't?”
”I tried. The good it did.” Alex kicked his bag. “Fuck. Now what?”
”He doesn't know you, that's the problem,” Sean said. “You have to tell him something that will make him trust you. Explain the situation. He has a soft spot for problems like that.”
”I'm not telling that asshole anything.”
”Do you have a better plan?” Sean stood up. “You know I would give you money if I had any, but I'm skint until next month. Now, take your bag, go back inside, and tell McCoy you need those cards because you have lost your boyfriend.”
”Shut up.”
”Special friend? Gentleman caller? Love muffin?”
“Ok, stop it!” Alex got up and picked up the bag from the ground, brushing the dirt off. ”But if I tell him, what will stop him from going around the school, telling everyone?”
”Information is currency around here, dummy. McCoy knows a lot of secrets, that's why no one wants to mess with him. Too much to lose.”
Alex shook his head. ”I don't like it.”
”It's not the worse thing he knows. Trust me.”
Sean walked with him back to the library and nudged him inside. Alex went back to the far corner, where McCoy still sat in the same position, the pen moving steadily over the paper. He was halfway through the notebook. Alex pulled the chair and sat down without waiting for McCoy to notice him. One invitation, it had to be still open, right?
McCoy looked up, surprised. ”You again.”
”Yeah. I really need those cards.”
”Third floor, secretary's office. I can write down the directions for you.”
”Cut the crap. I know you got cards. I'm willing to buy them.”
”I believe you said you are low on funds.”
Alex nodded. If he had money, there wouldn't be a problem.
”Then I don't understand what you want me to do?” McCoy leaned back on his chair, snapping the pen over the notebook. “Are you suggesting I should give them to you out of the goodness of my heart?”
”We get one sixty minute card every month, right? You give me ten now, and I'll give mine to you, for the next ten months.”
“That only makes us even. Where's the profit?” McCoy noted. “And if you get caught with ten cards, then what? I'm in trouble for nothing, and you still haven't told me why you need that many cards.”
Alex considered it for a moment. “I need the cards to track down my friend, alright? I think he's in trouble, and I have to find him. I can't go looking for him, so I have to call around.”
“And you need ten hours of phone calls for that? Must be an important friend.”
“He's my boyfriend.” Alex crossed his arms, deciding he wouldn't say anything more about it, and if McCoy made any kind of remark, he was going to punch him.
Instead McCoy nodded, like he had gotten Alex all figured out now, and turned the pages of his notebook, until he reached the back cover. The phone cards were lodged there in a neat row. He selected one and pushed it over the table. It was like any other standard issue phone card Alex had seen, only there was a small golden dot in the right side corner.
“I'll take your ten cards, and top of that, you owe me a favor. One day, I'll ask you to do something, and you'll do it, without questions. Deal?”
Alex reached for the card and slid it to his side. “How much is in it?”
“It shows sixty minutes, but it's a cracked card. When its empty, pull the card out, change the phone, and there will be sixty minutes again. It won't run out.”
Alex stared at it like the card had turned to gold in his hands.
McCoy turned the pages back to where he had been writing. "Good luck finding your friend. And now go away, and don't bother me again."
"Thank you," Alex said and got up. If he moved fast, he could get few phone calls done before the curfew. He would find Darwin, he was sure of it. This had to be a good omen.
It had to be.