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"Did you sleep over, or did you get here early?"
Dewey stared at Lena as he sipped from his juice box. Lena had definitely been at dinner last night, but he didn't think she'd stayed after. She stayed over a lot, but usually didn't come by before noon on other days. He assumed it was because she slept in. He wished he could sleep in more days, but Huey was adamant that they should be up at seven as many days as possible. Something about daylight.
"I just got here." She taped away at her phone screen but glanced at him long enough to make eye contact. "Webby said something about going to the mall."
He nodded. That made sense, then. He was glad Webby had a friend outside of the trio, especially since he was less than interested at the idea of a girls' day at the mall. "Cool."
They stood in silence for a moment. Lena fiddled with her phone and Dewey tried not to stare at her as he finished his juice.
Dewey liked to think he knew a lot of things. Mainly, he knew things about adventures and cartoons, but he liked to think that was a lot. Maybe he wasn't as smart as Huey or Louie, but he had his own Dewey-Knowledge.
And Dewey-Knowledge told him that Lena had secrets. Big secrets. And not just mysterious teenager rebellion secrets. Lena had the kind of secrets that eat you from the inside out and made you feel bad. They were heavy and made you tired and uneasy.
The bags under her eyes were only evidence towards that.
"Lena?" She looked up at him with half lidded eyes. "Are you... Okay?"
He knew what it was like to keep a secret. He also knew what it was like to have people find out about it. It wasn't fun.
Still, Lena wasn't really his friend. She wasn't not his friend, but she was more Webby's friend than his. He had no idea how to approach her, and there was no reason for her to trust him. Still, he didn't like the way she looked when she thought she was in trouble. Or the way she scarfed down food like she'd never see it again. Or how she would flinch any time they played games like chase or tag.
Something wasn't right. But it was a secret.
She raised a brow at him and didn't move. "Yeah, I'm fine. Somethin' up?"
He shrugged, not really sure. "I dunno, I just... Who do you come here to avoid?"
Her eyes widened and he knew he was right. She quickly glared at him, but he had already seen it.
"That's none of your business, nerd." She practically snarled at him. While he hadn't expected that reaction, he tried not to back away. "And don't say a word about it."
"I won't." He promised, though he knew that was probably a mistake. "But... It's okay. I know what it's like to keep secrets. They're exhausting. You should just be careful. I don't want to see you or Webby get hurt."
"Webby's fine." The venom in her voice made him frown. That was obviously a sore subject. "I don't know what you think you know, but stay out of it."
She looked so... Hurt. Angry, obviously, but also hurt. It made him sad. Maybe she wasn't his friend or his sister, but she was Webby's friend. And she was... Well, he just cared. He supposed he didn't really need a reason to care about someone. Uncle Donald never did.
"I will." He said softly, "Just... I'm glad you're here."
Her eyes widened again. He had caught her off guard, and that made him hurt even more. He couldn't comprehend the extent of whatever her secret was, but he knew it wasn't great. He just wanted her to know that they were there for her. Everyone should have someone there for them--he knew that because of his brothers. And Webby.
Before she could reply Webby and Beakley walked into the kitchen, both ready to leave.
Lena glanced at him over her shoulder as she walked out, and he waved.
She waved back.
Later, they found her base. Her 'home.
He felt sick to his stomach as he took in the stale air and the musty sheets. The fridge was full of energy drinks and stale cereal. There was toilet paper on the floor.
He could barely keep his thoughts together, even as his brothers seemed to grow angry and restless.
All he could do was set a hand on Webby's shoulder and promise her,
"It's okay."