Connector Vignettes #1 Shani [GUANO]

(timestamp for this event will come later ૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა)

Kevin kills Jenni's high school friend Shani because she witnessed them departing from a body dumping site. Yes they were masked, but for Kevin that's not enough. Now, Kevin vaguely knows about Shani but not the extent of Jenni's relationship with her. Closeness is moot when the threat of being compromised suddenly becomes very real. So Kevin doubles back, partially strangles Shani and discards her body that night and doesn't tell Jenni. Extremely stupid, sloppy, very self centered decision he almost immediately proceeds to pay for. First, Jenni is concerned bc Shani hasn't returned her phone calls on Monday, Tuesday the news coverage starts. Local Woman gone missing, community wide manhunt eventually finds her body washing up from the sea Friday, much faster than he expected. Jenni is staring Kevin down from the couch the whole time the announcer is going over the details, the police chief assuaging that No, The Bay Area Phantom is not a suspect. Not the usual M.O., yadda yadda, but Jenni fucking knows it's him because that's an out of state tactic, Washington specifically. why? Why? Why. Why. WHY WHY WHY WHY??? 

She's screeching him down and hates his even explanation, she saw, you know we can't let anyone know. She can see the tension around his eyes, how he winces when she starts yelling again. Because he knows he was dead wrong and it's THEIR decision, not his alone. It's a fucking betrayal is what it is. And worst of all he fucking lied for 2 weeks straight and had her running around looking stupid and sick with worry without saying a goddamn word. And all Kevin says is 'It was meant to happen.' And there's a moment once she's stopped screaming and he's done gritting out his words, where they stare each other down across the small dining table. The room is dark, only T.V. light. A moment where Jenni squares herself and adjusts, like shes going to lunge at his neck and Kevin is deciding if he should let her or slam her when she does. The air is hot, cloyed with hatred and intent, neither of them moving. 

"Cool." She says, stomping to the bedroom and locking the door. And thus begins 2 months of Kevin being iced out so bad he's sick with it. Leaves that night and doesn't come home for two weeks, just running through bodies and emotions he's never had in his life. When he comes back, head on straighter and feeling a version of regret for his actions, he tries peace with snow globes, tries to give her space in a one bedroom. Leaves the apartment when she asks, calls every night to have one sided conversations laced with apologies she doesn't accept and run targets by her for joint approval. He and Jenni attend Shani's funeral, at ease among the mourning, knowing this act is the key to his forgiveness. And after, in place of the wake, Jenni partially strangles him as true penance. He knows they'll be okay from now on, as long as he's safe beneath Jenni's heel.