[closed, joel and coop] [at coop's party]

He's not unhappy to be here, he's seen people he recognizes and thinks he's been considerably social enough even though he's only here because Joel had asked him to come--and partly because he still feels beholden to Coop for his help on the island.

He's still been having trouble sleeping since they'd arrived back home, though the headaches haven't been as bad as he'd anticipated and the scratches from the monster on the island seem to be healing well. He just needs a break, a short one from the crowd, so he manages to find a space on the couch that a couple engrossed in each other's lips have just left and plops down onto it with a huff of relief. It's not long before someone drops down next to him, and he turns his head to offer a tight smile of acknowledgment. The last person he expects to see beside him is Eli Jasper.

"What's up, Spence?" the mechanic asks with far too wicked a smile, and Spencer tries not to react to hearing the nickname. Dane had been the only one who'd used it consistently, and Cosette after him. Joel hasn't once called him that, and he never introduces himself that way. Hearing the word spat with so much venom from Eli's mouth makes him feel sick.

( tw: violence, verbal abuse )