xp_logs | Malibu: Grill Out (Reply)

Fred & Julian prepare dinner, grilling of another kind ensues when Catseye arrives.

Frederick Jacobi Dukes could cook a burger. Not everyone could, but he could for sure.

It was science and it was art. It was knowing how the meat sat, it was feeling the heat of the grill, it was what the sizzle was trying to tell you about how much time was left. It simply was .

Fred, who'd been sipping a large glass of lemonade while he watched the burgers cook, had realized he'd lost himself in his own head and looked over to where his roommate and best friend had been occupying the deck with him. He knew this trip wasn't quite going according to plan so far, and it seemed to weigh heavily on the West Coast native. He smiled a little as he looked over at his friend, "Y'know Jules. One'a the things bout grilling is that there's this large hunk'a time where you're just supposed ta, y'know, talk. You're, heh....kinda droppin the ball there,"

Burgersburgersburgers! Catseye could smell them from the beach, where she'd been paddling around in the water with a snorkel mask on. The smell sent her galloping up to the deck, mask still on, kicking sand up everywhere she went. "Burgers!" she exclaimed happily. "Is Fred cooking burgers for Julian and Fred or can Catseye have some?" she inquired, catching Fred's remark about Julian not talking and wondering if they were supposed to be having a private conversation.

With a slight flinch, Julian relaxed when he saw that it was Catseye and recalled that she wasn't really one- in his experience- to hold a grudge. With a slight smirk, Julian took in the sight of Catseye in he snorkeling gear, which led him to wonder how she'd made it up to the deck in flippers. "Fred's volunteered to grill dinner tonight, so you can have some if you haven't found a nice flounder out in the water to take its place." Turning to Fred he gave his friend a nod, "Sorry about that, man."

"The fishies are too fast for Catseye!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "Is Fred trying to get Julian to talk about why he is upset?" she inquired.

Fred smiled a little at Catseye as he expertly flipped a patty and looked back to Jules. Though he was talking to Catseye, it was obvious who he the next phrase was directed at, "Only it's he wants to, Purple. End of the day, his business is his,"

"Does that mean that 'end of the day, Catseye throwing him in the lake for being SillyStupid and not talking to friends is his business too?" she inquired sweetly, also addressing her remark to Julian while she looked at Fred.

With a roll of his eyes, Julian stuck his tongue out at Catseye and then chuckled. "You're welcome to stay, Cats, Fred is just making dinner for everyone- you've got a nice rare one with her name on it right?"

Fred grinned and presented Catseye with a sizzling patty on a plate, "Practically still bleedin, Purple. En. Joy." He turned back to the grill and moved a few of the other pieces of meat about as the fire jumped and grew a bit.

Catseye picked up the patty, juggling it between her hands before taking a bite and giving Fred a satisfied nod as she chewed. "He's still not talking, Fred," she pointed out, glaring at Julian. "How do we make him talk? Can Catseye eat his burgers?"

"Whoa, hey now! Let's not go crazy," Julian got up from the lounger he'd been stretched out on and moved between Catseye and the grill. With a sigh he shook his head, "I don't want to talk about it...but if you're asking, I'll tell you."

"We are asking, yes Fred?"

"Looks like we are, Cats. C'mon Jules. You'll feel better after ya talk."

With a heavy sigh, Julian gave in, hefting himself up on a stone ledge next to the grill, and between Fred and Catseye. "Okay, so if you really want to know- this trip has turned into a disaster. I mean, first my parents ditch me- again. Then Dori's mom loses custody of her son, which probably wouldn't have happened if we hadn't brought Doreen back here. And don't even get me started on the fact that Angel and Nick seem to be getting along. In fact the only good parts seem to have been when we kicked Blake's ass at volleyball and when I...um...well, let's just go with the volleyball thing," Julian blushed furiously.

Before they could ask, "I mean, have you guys really been having a good time?"

Catseye's tail lashed thoughtfully. "Well, Catseye did not like getting hit in the face with the volleyball, but Catseye likes snorkeling veryverymuch and Catseye is happy she came and- what?" Something had just sunk in. "How come Julian said Angel and Nick are 'getting along' in that funny way? What does Julian mean?"

Flushing slightly, Julian shook his head, "Nothing Cats, it's...just nothing." He looked down at the sizzling meat on the grill.

Fred turned to Cats, brows furrowed, "Cats, I think Jules is..." and Fred looked back at Jules, and winced. This wasn't his business to tell, but Jules had to get out of his head, "C'mon Jules. Say it and get it outta your noggin."

Julian sighed, this was why he liked living with Fred- he was simple. "Okay, so, I may or may not have seen Angel and Nick getting cozy on the beach, if you know what I mean." Seeing that Catseye still looked confused, he tried to recall her words for things of this nature. "Like, not quite bed-room-games, but definitely a familiar comfortableness."

"You don't know what was really going on, Jules. Don't assume," Fred said quickly looking from Jules to Cats for help from her .

"I might not know exactly, what's going on, but...ya know what, whatever, if she wants to be with that loser, she's welcome to her mistakes." Julian made a gesture that he was sure Fred would recognize from the card tables a few weeks before, one indicating he was out and had nothing up his sleeves. "So, yeah, whatever."

Fred leaned over and lit a smoke off the fire licking off the grill. As he puffed, he reached over and patted Jules tight on the shoulder, "Dude, no offense to 'Gel man, but it's all her loss. I don't mean, but...heh, you know," he muttered out with a grin and slid a burger, cooked with the cheese already, onto a plate in front of Jules.

Picking it up, Julian slid the cheese laden patty onto a plate and added a heap of lettuce and some barbecue sauce for flavor. "Damn this looks good," Julian said with a slight smile returning to his face. "Thanks, Fred," he said, looking up at his roommate and intending the sentiment for more than just the burger.

"Thanks are for people who mind doin' it, Jules," Fred said with a smile as he mused up his roommates' hair, "And I don't mind."