Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

★/★\★

The moment Chad casts a glance at Jay on his way to homeroom is when he knows it won't be a very good day for him. The slight glance at Jay is enough to make Chad's face downfallen for an entire month, he despises him that much. Ever since the Arabian thief had arrived at Auradon Prep, Chad's life has been filled with nothing but pain, misery, and suffering. Jay has single-handedly been ruining Chad's life by stealing possible dates from him, taking all the glory in Tourney, and pulling his own best friend away from him. All with a sadistic smirk on his face, too.

Certainly, Chad isn't exactly helping his own case by going out with a string of people without even bothering to get to know them beyond their physical aspects, and he's definitely not helping his case by not being a very good Tourney player to begin with, and, well… his and Ben's friendship had probably hit a snag when Chad got with Ben's girlfriend. Granted, Chad called it off with Audrey the day after Ben's coronation but still… it's principle and Chad knows he shouldn't have went against it. And besides that, Chad and Ben have two absolutely different stances on the VK's.

He wants to believe that he can make up for doing whatever it is that he did but it's difficult to believe that when Ben isn't giving him anything to suggest so. The young king hasn't so much as looked in Chad's direction lately, which was dull at first but now stung more than anything. He wishes it didn't bring such a strong sense of strife to him upon seeing Ben ignore him as if he's nothing (Chad knows with absolute certainty that he is not nothing), though he knows if he didn't feel this way then something would be wrong. You don't spend that much time with a person and then not miss them when you stop spending time with them, right? But if that's true then why does it seem like Ben’s happy and doesn't care about their friendship (if it can still be called that)? Didn't all those years of knowing each other and being friends mean anything to Ben?

Chad had thought so but now… Now, Chad doesn't want to worry over his (ex?) best friend, he only wants to be preoccupied with things that will ease his anxiety and bring him immense pleasure- such as making Jay suffer.

And the way to do that? Chad isn’t sure.

What could Chad possibly do to ruin Jay's life the same way the villain has ruined his and get what he desires? Desires … What does Jay desire? He has glory, he has gold, what else could he want? He must want something , and whatever it is, Chad will rip it away from the villain before Jay even has a chance to call it his.

Chad momentarily sets his glance on his phone but ultimately returns his gaze towards Jay. He scowls at the image of the young man standing amongst his group of friends. Jay has that stupid smirk on his face that Chad wishes he could punch off.

Rolling his eyes, Chad continues walking and heads toward his homeroom where he knows he’ll just  sit in his desk and have the nerds give him his homework and projects needed for the day.

After leaving his English class, he heads to his next class as soon as possible so he can lay his head on his desk and fall asleep. But his plan for sleep is delayed when Audrey, who must have come from a direction he couldn't see clearly, attaches herself to him like a sloth to a tree.

“Hi, babe! I-”

“Don't call me that.” Chad demands, annoyed with Audrey's inability to understand and grasp the fact that he didn't want to date her. He was extremely uncomfortable with all of her advances, but he couldn't help but think it was his own fault for dating her in the first place.

“Chad, I just wanted to know if you were finished with your 'break’?” Her voice grates down on Chad's nerves, it reminds him of all the horrible things she used to whisper into his ear. The word choice especially takes him back. Break. Her word, not his. He had told her he didn't want to date her any longer, yet she had insisted and continued to insist that Chad would change his mind, that this was only a break. He would run back to her in no time.

Chad removes her arm from his and rightly says, “No, and I won't ever be finished with it.”

He continues on his way, walking faster so as not to be stuck talking to Audrey again. He grows upset with himself for getting involved with her in the first place. Yeah, he hadn't known how controlling she would be and how much pressure she would place on him when they first started seeing each other. He vividly remembers every instance in which she'd ask to see his phone, forbid him from talking to friends, and made him promise that he'd never leave her but still, he wishes things had gone differently. Then he wouldn't be in this awful situation.

Of course, because Chad had been having a ton of luck today, he saw Jay and the other VKs right after avoiding Audrey. Chad sees Jay smile,  turn his head to face the teen beside him- Carlos, who's wearing a plain white T-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans that cling to his small frame, smiles back. Jay's grin widens in effect and Chad feels as if maybe he shouldn't be watching the two, they seem to be in their own world, a world where only they exist and everything else is simply nothing, which makes it appear like a crime of invasion for Chad to watch them like so. Jay's eyes are lit up so brightly that they rival stars. His face alludes to the greatest feeling on earth- happiness. What would it take to tear that elation from him?

That's when it hits him, like a strike of lightning, some sort of genius comes over him. Carlos makes Jay happy . It's clear in the adjacency between them, the smiles on their faces, and the fact that neither of them have noticed their friends have left them alone because to them it wouldn't have made a difference either way.

Jay shouldn’t have this, he shouldn’t have happiness, he shouldn’t have Carlos, and he shouldn’t have everything he’s taken away from Chad. He just shouldn’t .

That’s it, isn’t it? If he takes Carlos away from Jay, then Jay isn’t happy, and everything the villain has taken from Chad will be his again? But how will he seperate Carlos and Jay? How will he ensure they stay apart?

Chad lets out a groan. Too many questions. He’s thought enough for today, a few more minutes of thinking will blow his brains out, he knows it. With that, he looks back down to his phone and starts a game of Clash Royale.

You've got to be fucking kidding me,   Chad thinks.  He's in his AP Auradon History class sweet-talking one of the smart kids into taking notes for him when he hears a pair of ex-lovers quarrel in the seats behind him.  

“He treats me better than you ever did,” a girl says,  hushed.  Chad believes her to be Little Red Riding Hood’s niece,  though he can't recall her name.

“How can you say that? I took you on dates all the time.” He responds back with the same tone.

“Once a month is not all the time. And you seem to be under the impression that a car ride is a date. It most certainly isn't! You better not even think for one second either, Gary,  that I had never noticed the way you always had Luna’s lipstick on the collar of your shirt while we were together.”

“Fuck- Wait, Blue, what about you and Nick? Huh? When did that bullshit start?”

“He was a friend first, if you must know. I had the decency to tell him we couldn't be together while you and I were dating! Of course I gave him a chance the second you told me you wanted to break up.”

“‘A friend’ my ass! I’m sure he was only after you to get into your pants.”

“Yeah? Well, he's already got in them! For the record, he's bigger than you.”

Chad can't help but snicker at that.  He looks over at the nerd and sees he's laughing too. There's a ruckus as Gary gets up from his seat and moves to another one.  

Good for Blue, Chad thinks, Gary got what he deserved.

The shadows darkening the screen of his phone quickly dismay Chad, frustrates him enough to where he whines. All he wants is to take a look at the reflection of his glorious self but thanks to the horrendous weather Auradon’s been having lately he can't. A disappointment to the entire world, Chad surely knows.

After failing to catch a glimpse of himself he steps away from the wall he was leaning up against and starts walking to class with his usual windswept hair and trademark smile. He's dressed in a casual suit that his father bought him. Well, no. In actuality, his father's assistant bought it. He lets out a huff at the thought without meaning to, his father is always a touchy subject for him and not one he even cares to think about. He shakes his head, an attempt to rid himself of those thoughts.

When he finally makes it to class, he does all that he can to fall asleep- it simply doesn't work. He closes his eyes for a while but sleep never comes. Desires and fancies race through his mind about what to do, they clutter up his brain with stark images of Jay's heart being torn from his chest, Jay's trophies being melted, Jay's object of affection being cared for and loved for by someone else. Someone with blond hair, blue eyes, a charming smile, beautiful teeth, gorgeous cheekbones, and luxurious skin. A depiction spreads itself across Chad's thoughts; Carlos's arm wrapped around Chad's waist, Carlos’s hand resting on Chad's chest in a damsel manner. Carlos is looking at Chad the way he was looking at Jay earlier in the day, with deep admiration and fondness. Carlos slots his head into the crook of Chad's neck, nuzzles his nose against the skin, and softly presses a kiss to the pulse there. The image is prominent and bold, so much so that Chad is lost in the feeling of it, the realness of it. He becomes undone, fazed by the pleasure of achievement and companionship.

The chime of the school bell is ultimately what pulls him out of the daydream. Chad lifts his head up from the desk and sighs, sits up, then walks out of the class along with the other students.

He makes an agreement with himself while walking through the hall that he won't start on any plans until tomorrow. Honestly, he's too damn tired now to even think about thinking . He's tired of thinking. And he's just plain tired . Exhaustion begins to settle itself under his skin, warmth and grogginess slip into his bloodstream. His roommate's been keeping him up all night with his loud and obnoxious snoring. Curse Godmother for pairing him up with Sleepy’s child. He's sure he can switch roommates at least one more time this semester, though. He grimaces upon the realization that this will be his seventh dorm change this school year. Hopefully, the seventh time's a charm.  He'll be sure to talk to Fairy Godmother as soon as possible about that, until then he'll settle for the earplugs his father's assistant will bring him.  

Lunch is hell for Chad today. The VK's are seated directly in Chad's line of eyesight, giving him a painful visualization of Jay being blissful and content. Carlos is sat next to him, pressed closely to him by means of an arm wrapped around his shoulder like a scarf. If only Chad could rip it off as easily as he could cotton. Needless to say, he doesn't have much of an appetite. Unfortunate, seeing as how some nourishment could really help him out energy wise.

Either way, no food, no naps, and a good pair of earplugs send him straight off to sleep that night.

That morning the sun woke him up. Before Chad knew it he realized exactly what he had to do! He had started thinking about things from the day before. Two, in particular, or four, technically: Jay and Carlos, and Blue and her ex-boyfriend, Gary.

Blue had said that Nick treated her better than Gary ever had, that she and Nick were friends at first before becoming more after she and Gary had broken up.  Say Carlos is Blue, Jay is Gary, and Chad is Nick- Chad’ll have Carlos in no time. So long as he becomes friends with him. It can't be that hard to make friends with him, can it?

He thinks back on what his mom had always told him about what a true friend was. Then he shakes his head.  According to her, he wouldn't have any.  

That same day, Chad strides into Chemistry and winks at the first person he sees before immediately scolding himself. Flirting with people who aren't Carlos won't do. He reminds himself that he needs to get down to business, staying on task is the key to success. If he truly wants to make Jay as unhappy as he is, he has several objectives to complete in order to do so. One of which he can check off in just a moment.

When he sits down, he realizes he isn't entirely sure if he finished his homework for the subject. Or more accurately, if he had gotten it back from the kid he had suckered into doing his homework for him. Well, it isn't much of a deal either way. He has bigger things to focus on.

He waits for Evie to come into the class and settle herself before he gets up and makes his way to her. “Evie, could I have a talk with you?”

She’s wary of him, he can tell, but still she nods her head. Chad takes in a breath, focusing on the fact that apologizing to Evie will be an ‘in’ to the VK’s group. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. How I behaved was wrong and I know that. Could you forgive me?”

Evie blinks and looks down in thought. She frowns, “Do you even know what you're apologizing for?”

Chad freezes. He hadn't prepared himself for this. He thought simply memorizing some random apology he had his father's assistant write for him would be good enough, turns out it isn't.

He doesn't say anything.

Evie catches on and shakes her head no. “I can't forgive you. Not until you recognize what it is you did wrong in the first place. I appreciate you trying to own up to your mistake though, I really do.” She turns away from him and leaves him feeling colder than ice.  

Chad nods his head, even though she can't see him, and lets out a deep sigh of regret, then turns back to walk towards his seat.

This is going to be harder than he thought.

Chapter Text

✴/✴\✴

Carlos gets a sickeningly sweet look on his face while daydreaming, once again, about his best friend Jay. He immediately tries to shake it off, considering the fact that he knows he should start on getting over Jay as soon as possible. Having these feelings isn't doing any good. In fact, it's doing the opposite of good. Especially now, in this very moment, in which Carlos is supposed to be paying attention to his Pre-Calculus class, but isn't due to his thoughts about Jay's hair and lips and abs and- Carlos should really quit while he's ahead. He resolves to focus on the lesson the teacher is giving. A painfully boring lesson on… What was it? Oh, right, trigonometry review.

Carlos immediately snaps out of his thoughts and lasers in on the teacher's instructions. He can't be letting his infatuation get the best of him. What he needs to do is nip his feelings in the bud. He needs to get it through his head - and his heart - that Jay will only ever be a friend to him, nothing more. 

If only it were easier done rather than said. Honestly, how on earth is Carlos going to move on? Jay is his best friend, they spend all their time together. they even share a dorm room together. Of course, this includes time Jay spends flirting with people. It seems Carlos just needs to work out a schedule in which Carlos is busy doing things that don’t revolve around Jay. Yeah… he’ll make an Excel sheet up later. But now he'll have to get started on a worksheet involving right triangles. 

By the time lunch comes around, Carlos swears he's got a handle on keeping his feelings locked away. He's successfully disregarded every romantic thought in his brain about Jay. But that assurance disappears the moment Carlos sets his eyes on Jay flirting with Audrey on his way to their lunch table. Jay's smiling, laughing. He's telling Audrey something that apparently requires his lips to be an inch away from her ear. Carlos can see Jay's eyes travel to her mouth when he pulls away. Carlos knows Jay wants to kiss her, knows he probably wants to do more than just kiss her. Images of Jay and Audrey making out, kissing passionately, make their way into Carlos' head. The images are vivid, bright, and utterly painful. 

Hurt seeps into the very fiber of his being, it crushes his chest, wounds his soul and his heart and his lungs. Carlos can't breathe, it hurts that much. He tries to take a deep breath, and then several, it just doesn’t work. He’s got it bad. He clenches his eyes shut for a moment but ultimately opens them again, a slave to his feelings for Jay.

He continues making the journey to where Mal and Evie are seated, loathing the moment Jay finally makes his way over too. His plate drops onto the table, it's a surprise that nothing spills seeing as how carelessly it fell. He manages, somehow, and sits down.  

Carlos stares down at his tray for a moment before putting on a smile and asking Evie how her classes were going. Evie then tells him in great detail and much enthusiasm everything that had happened to her since she first stepped into her homeroom. Listening to her was a welcome activity. As long as Carlos focused his attention on the sound of Evie’s voice and what she was saying, he wouldn’t have to think about Jay mooning over Audrey.

“And, yeah. Oh! In Chemistry, this happened the other day, you will never guess what happened!”

Carlos laughed, and said, “What?”

Her eyes got all wide then as she exclaimed, “Chad tried apologizing!”

“Chad tried what, now?” Jay says from behind Carlos. A chill slips up the cord of Carlos’ spine at the sound of Jay’s voice. Jay takes a seat next to Carlos and gives Carlos a smile before lifting up his fork and shoving mashed potatoes into his mouth. Carlos tries not to beam back but he can’t help it. Jay smiled at him. It was a real smile, too. Not a smirk. Not a cheeky grin. A smile.

“He said something about... I don’t remember. Point is, he tried apologizing. I think the Auradon Preps are turning over a new leaf, or, well, are at least picking the leaf up to begin with.”

“I sure hope Audrey turns over my leaf,” Jay euphemizes.

If Carlos wasn’t hurt enough before, he definitely is now. He’d much rather be on the Isle than hear something like that come from Jay’s mouth. And now, it’s the only thing he can think about. His mind is viciously playing it over and over.

But then Jay wraps his arm around Carlos’ shoulder and brings him in close. Carlos is able to get a whiff of Jay’s scent and the feeling of his warmth. And while Carlos is still seething and heartbroken, this is quite an apology to him.

Later that day, Carlos is in his dorm sitting at his desk, trying to work on homework. He’s got headphones on so he can’t be easily distracted. Usually, the headphones are fool proof, but unfortunately for Carlos they aren’t Jay proof. Carlos glances up and the first thing he sets his eyes on is Jay - half naked, gloriously sweaty, and gorgeous as all hell. Seems he had been out for a jog, practicing for Tourney most likely. Carlos had previously quit Tourney to focus on other endeavors otherwise he would have been out jogging with him. Quitting Tourney may have saved Carlos from getting bruised all the time but unfortunately it didn't save him from the feeling of lust that comes with looking at Jay's v-line. 

“Hey, ‘Los,” Jay says, taking off his shoes by the door. He steps into the room and heads on over to Carlos’ bed, landing on it with finesse and charm.

“Oh, c’mon, Jay, you’re gonna get your sweat on my bed,” Carlos complains, trying to play it cool.

Jay simply winks at him which results in Carlos turning red. Carlos hurriedly turns his head to avoid having Jay see how much of an impact his suggestive nature was making on him. He plants his eyes on his paper and tries his damnedest to not think about the fact that at that very moment he had a very hot, very sweaty, and very flirty Jay in his bed.

Carlos knows the reason he gets butterflies in his stomach whenever Jay runs his fingers through his hair, he knows why he blushes so easily when Jay's around, and he knows why his heart physically hurts when he sees him flirting with someone else. He just hadn't realized it until some time after Ben's coronation. Jay had been sitting next to him on his bed, they were curled up together but only slightly, still, Carlos remembers feeling warm and happy and safe. He recalls the faint noise of the TV on in the background, the light of it shining upon Jay's face, illuminating it so that he looked angelic and handsome.

Most of all, he remembers fighting off the desire to kiss him. The light seemed to almost attract Carlos's eyes to Jay's mouth, Carlos could suppose it was the only reason he wanted to kiss his friend then, but that's not the case. It was more than desire that Carlos felt, it was love. It encompassed his entirety, there was nothing he could do to withstand it or fight it off so he just accepted it, allowed it to take him over. And he still feels it now. He feels the pain of loving someone who doesn't love him, who hasn't the faintest idea of the feelings Carlos has. Or if he does, he doesn't show it or give any signs. And it would be incredibly horrid of him to flirt with as many people as he does in front of Carlos if he did know.

Jay doesn't flirt with him, no, they're only friends. Sometimes Carlos wonders if that's all they are and if that's all they ever will be.

He's got this idea in his head that one day he will come clean and all his unspoken truths will finally be said. Jay will tell him he feels the same way and they'll ride off into the sunset together. But it's just a pipe dream, he knows it. Yet, he can't let go of it. He's too in love, truth be told.

Carlos believes he'll find love elsewhere, once the fact that Jay doesn't love him in the same way finally gets through his head… and his heart. He hopes that fact will hit him sooner rather than later, he's quite tired of being in love with someone who's not looking for anything more than a hook up. Carlos wishes he could want hook ups, there must be something great about them if Jay has them all the time. He just doesn't want that. He wants more. He wants someone to be with him, have him, and stay with him when the having is done with. He wants Jay specifically, but he knows that's only a wish on a star.

They won't ever be together, not in the way he wants them to be. They won’t ever kiss, make out, or make love. They’ll never have an anniversary or anything of the sort. He'll have to accept that. If only it were easier. If only his heart didn't start beating out of control every time Jay smiled, laughed, and oh- winked.

It’s a quarter after 5 pm when Mal comes over and says she’s having trouble. Jay opens up the door to see her chewing on the inside of her cheek. 

"Do you think some part of me will always be evil, Jay?" Mal asks before even stepping into the room. Carlos can see from his position that her eyes are red. Her cheeks look somewhat shiny. And her  Jay immediately pulls her into their room and has her seat on his bed. The whole time he's soothing her with his words, rubbing her shoulders, comforting her. "Audrey was talking about me today in the corridor, saying stupid things about how my dress looked ugly. I mean, Evie made it and nothing Evie makes is ugly. It's just not possible. I know that. Yet, I still got so angry. I even think my eyes turned green. I wanted to do bad things to her, horrible things. I wanted her to suffer. I wanted Audrey to break every bone in her body. Good people don't think things like that. And I'm trying to be good. I really am. Why is it so hard?" 

 "People aren't always good, Mal. Don't hold yourself to that. Trying is enough. Everyone fails at being good sometimes, and we all know that if someone recognizes that they did a bad thing and ask for forgiveness they're headed in the right direction."

Carlos finds himself heading over and wrapping himself around Mal, as well. He has an arm around her waist and a hand in her hair, playing with the purple strands. He rests his chin on her head, bringing her face into his chest. At this, Mal lets herself cry again. She utters soft sounds of pain into the cotton of Carlos' shirt and listens to Jay tell her that they both love her, that they both know she's good. 

It's a half-hour later when Mal leaves with a kiss on both the boys' cheeks goodnight. Jay tells her to give Evie a hug for him. Carlos tells her to give Evie a kiss for him (which makes Mal blush). 

After the door is shut, Jay turns to Carlos and says, "Guess Audrey ain't a girl for me, then." 

To which Carlos simply looks down and shrugs. 

Around midnight, Carlos is still up working on research. He's in bed, sitting up, his laptop sitting, well, on top of his lap. His eyes are strained, scouring the bright screen before him, reading pages and pages of text from different sites. A yawn makes its way out of his mouth just before he's surprised by Jay closing his computer. It shuts with a click and is picked up by Jay and set on Carlos' desk. 

Carlos' eyes grow wide, alike his mouth, "What the hell-"

Jay, meanwhile, pays no attention. He simply pulls up the covers and lets himself into Carlos' bed, settling himself and even snuggling into the blankets. The only excuse he gives is, "It's time for bed," which he mumbles into Carlos' pillow. 

"Jay, what-"

Growling, Jay reaches out, slides his hand across Carlos' thighs and sleepily says, "Go to sleep." 

Carlos lets out a breath, looks around the room, which he notices is completely dark, and then gulps. Jay is in his bed. His arm is across my lap. Another breath is let out just before Carlos sinks down and allows Jay to hold him like he's always wanted to be held. Carlos smiles to himself in the dark, thinking, 'At the very least, I get to have this."

Chapter Text

Jay wakes up with drool on his chin and Carlos pressed up next to him (one circumstance is definitely better than the other). Jay smiles, enjoying the feeling of his best friend in his arms, opting to try to go back to sleep before realizing it was useless. He simply lies in bed and begins to think. Images of yesterday play in his mind. Audrey. Mal. Evie. Carlos.

Carlos, who seems to be just now waking up, probably due to Jay waking up before him. His body spreads out atop the sheets, like a cat's, moving against Jay's. His hair tickles Jay's chest, making him laugh. Carlos blinks the tiredness out of his big brown eyes and looks up at Jay. Jay's mouth is open in a wide grin as he looks back at him. Carlos asks Jay what time it is in a deep, groggy voice. Jay tells him it's 7:30 a.m, and then assumes Carlos will stay in bed with him for the remainder of the time they have until they need to get ready but soon finds out that he assumed wrong. Carlos slips out of bed, extends out his arms in the usual manner, and heads over to the bathroom. Sorely mistaken, Jay grumbles and falls unto his back. He stares up at the ceiling for a bit. Again, to think.

Today, he has plans with Mal and Evie to go out to the countryside. The girls wanted to pick berries for the first time. He had plans with Carlos at first, but then Carlos said he had something else to do. Hanging out with his best gals will be fun, no doubt, but Jay would have liked to spend some time with Carlos today. They haven't been doing that recently. They're both busy, Jay supposes.

The lack of time spent together has led Jay to be more clingy towards Carlos. He's slightly (only slightly) worried Carlos won't want to be around him anymore. They're best friends, Jay knows that. But... Best friends can become friends. And friends can become strangers. Jay can't think of anything worse happening. Besides either one of them dying, of course. So, yeah, he's been more touchy. He's given more hugs and he's held him close for more times this last week than almost all of last month combined. It's been great, too. Jay hadn't thought much about how amazing it feels to give his best friends hugs but now that he knows, it's all he wants to do.

Carlos and Jay would never have been allowed to share this much physical affection on the Isle, so Jay's grateful that he can here in Auradon and that he's able to feel the warmth of someone else's body adjacent to his. He's also grateful that-

"Jay! You should get up, now!" Carlos calls out, in the middle of brushing his teeth. His words come out all garbled and messy. Jay laughs, rolls his eyes, and ignores him. Jay doesn't know it but Carlos rolls his eyes as well before he calls out again. "Jay!"

Grumbling again, Jay shoves off the blankets and gets up to start his day.

He goes to each of his classes with the same disposition and tries his best just to not fall asleep. If he doesn't fall asleep it means the day has been a success (usually, he fails in this respect).

The only time he ever really pays attention in class is when someone good-looking is presenting or when there's a movie playing. He still does his work, albeit he gets a lot of help from people in his classes who actively listen to the lessons. He's made a lot of friends due to this. He's flirted with a few, all in the name of fun. He's not looking for anything serious with them.

The lesson today in his Biology class is focusing on alleles (as far as Jay can tell, anyway, it's all he read on the board). Jay's eyes are closing when the teacher announces to get into groups. He groans internally, but when he realizes he'll be put into a group of cheerleaders he smiles.

Kara keeps giving him subtle looks while Lilly begins asking him about the guys he knows on the Tourney teams' love lives. "Do you know if Chad's seeing anyone?"

Jay shakes his head, turning on the charm. He wants these girls to like him and finds it pleasurable to have them try to make him jealous. "He isn't. I'm not either, by the way." He gives her a dashing grin to which she blushes at.

"Would you pass on my number to him. You can have it too if you'd like." Her eyelashes cast a shadow on her cheekbones. She looks alluring underneath the light of the classroom and she bites her lip seductively, drawing Jay's eyes to them.

Jay is definitely going to call her.

By the time lunch comes, Jay's preoccupied with trying to get the notes for his Geography class. He's talked to several people but they all say the same thing. "I didn't take notes." Jay should be the only one allowed to not take notes. He's almost given up when he remembers Carlos has Geography too, just in a different period. He lets out a sigh of relief and takes to heading over to where his friends are sitting.

Upon reaching them, he gives them all a smile. Evie is in the middle of a story when he sits down, so he patiently waits for her to finish before he asks Carlos for help. His plea is met with a clipped, "I can't study with you."

Jay blinks and wonders if Carlos really can't study with him or if he doesn't want to. Jay stumbles on his response, feeling like the tension between them is choking him. "I could just take a look at your notes? We... don't have to study together."

"Yeah, okay. I'll show them to you later." Carlos says, not even looking at him, with his shoulders hunched over and his face turned away. Jay stares at him for a few seconds after he stops talking, hoping that Carlos will look back at him. He doesn't. He continues eating his food, one spoonful after another and seems to ignore the tension between them.

With a 'thank you' from Jay, the end of the conversation allows for Mal to rave about something a student mentor suggested to her in her art class that's helped her with outlining. Jay's thankful he has something to focus on that isn't Carlos' apparent disinterest in him.

Jay's unable to focus on the rest of his classes. He stares absentmindedly at the walls and the desks and the backs of students' heads. He randomly remembers that the girl who gave him her number also wanted him to pass it along to Chad. Jay decides he'll tell her he simply hasn't seen Chad in a while. This way she doesn't choose Chad.

When the final bell rings, Jay feels relieved. Another school day over with. He heads on over to Mal and Evie, hugs them, and then asks if they're ready to go.

The girls are both eager to go while Jay is worried he'll end up being the third wheel. Usually, he has Carlos to hang out with when Mal and Evie become enraptured in each other but since Carlos is M.I.A. Jay's gonna have to suffer alone. It's even worse now than it has been in the past. Mal and Evie would be shy with their glances before, but now it's like they've both given up. Or maybe neither of them realize how obvious their pining is for each other.

Mal and Evie immediately make him the third wheel. They go off on their own picking blackberries with Jay following behind like a puppy. He has to deal with them being ridiculously cute with one another. He rolls his eyes every time Mal looks at Evie with love eyes and Evie doesn't notice. He does the same every time Evie looks at Mal with love eyes and Mal doesn't notice. It's cute but it's also sickening.

Ten minutes after the girls finally include Jay in their fun (by throwing berries at him), the girls go back to ignoring him. They lay cuddled up on the picnic blanket, leaving Jay awkwardly sitting beside them. He rolls his eyes, tries not to pay attention to their giggly whispering, and stares out at the meadow. There was nothing like this on the Isle - everything was cluttered, packed in, and dirty. Devasted, old, buildings were all over the Isle, they left little space for something like a berry bush or a meadow. Jay had never seen true nature until he arrived here. It's mesmerizing. The trees are swaying, the birds are flying... everything seems so alive. It's so different from the Isle. Everything is dead there- even the people.

Jay wishes Carlos were here with him. It'd make this moment of watching beauty far more better.

He continues looking at the scenery. He gets so lost in it that he doesn't notice his two friends kiss for the first time. However, on the way back to town, Jay notices something is up. Jay catches sight of Mal and Evie holding hands. It's about time, he thinks.

After dropping off Mal and Evie at their dorm with a 'have fun, you two' and a wink, Jay's back in his dorm, lying on Carlos' bed again seeing as how it's far more comfortable than his own. Jay waits for Carlos to come back from wherever he's at, checking on his social media accounts to pass the time. A moment after Jay likes some girl's selfie is when Carlos comes in. Jay immediately looks up from his phone towards Carlos. He smiles at him but stops upon seeing the blank face Carlos has.

Jay tries to come up with something to say but Carlos beats him to it. "How was hanging out with the girls?"

Jay closes his mouth and then opens it back up to talk, "It was great, yeah. I think, well, uh, Mal and Evie got together."

Carlos' eyebrows raise, and his blank stare turns into a look of surprise and fondness. "Finally."

Jay laughs and agrees. He clears his throat, thinking now's the time to ask if Carlos has been doing okay if they're still okay. Jay's still confused as to if Carlos has been purposefully avoiding him. All he wants to know is if Carlos still thinks of Jay as his best friend. He's about to ask but Carlos, once again, beats him to the punch.

"I'm gonna get going. I'm hanging out with Doug tonight," He pauses, then continues, "I'll be spending the night in his dorm."

"Oh."

A lightning strike of pain shoots into Jay's chest. He can't be imagining the way Carlos seems to want nothing to do with him. It's five o'clock. By this time, Jay and Carlos are neck deep in a bag of chips and have beaten a swarm of the living dead. It's ritual. Jay wonders why Carlos didn't tell him he was canceling beforehand but then remembers the cold shoulder he'd received from him earlier.

"My notes are on my desk, by the way. Just make sure you put them back when you're done with them."

Jay's surprised Carlos remembered. Even he didn't remember. "Uh, thanks, man."

Carlos nods, gets some of his things, and leaves.

Jay goes to sleep that night alone, in his own bed, wondering why his best friend has been acting so weird.

Chapter Text

★/★\★

“Fairy Godmother, please, I'm begging you! I can't stand sharing a room with that… that obnoxious air horn! I swear to you, he's affecting my grades. At night, I can't sleep. Try as I might, I end up falling asleep in cla-”

"You've had far too many roommate changes, Chad. I hardly count 'being annoyed' as a reason for you to switch into another room."

"I'd rather Clovis be the one to switch into a different room," Chad mutters, his eyes squinted. No way in hell is he packing his things up when it's Clovis who's the problem.

Fairy Godmother gives Chad a look that he reciprocates, though he shouldn't be. She gives him another look, an exasperated one this time. "Besides that, this is the sixteenth time - I'm not exaggerating - that you have come into my office unannounced. I don't mean to say that you're being a bother, but, well, you're being a bother."

Chad doesn't pay much attention to her grievances with him. He doesn't care enough to so he starts again on the subject of what matters to him. "As I was saying, I've been having trouble staying awake in class. Anyway, I'm sure there's someone who would like to have me as their roommate. It's not as big of a deal as you're making it. I truly think you're over-reacting."

Chad receives a sigh in response.

"This will be the last roommate change, I promise." He tells her, not truly knowing whether this will be the last time. His previous roommates were all terrible to live with. He hopes this next roommate won't be as bad as them but unfortunately, he has no way of knowing. If anything, he could get really lucky and be paired up with someone intelligent. At the very least, he doesn't want someone annoying.

Fairy Godmother blinks and stays quiet.

Chad rolls his eyes. "And I won't come into your office anymore asking for things."

With that, she seems to be appeased. "I'll see what I can do." She looks down at her desk and starts to look over her paperwork. She picks up a stack of paper and glances it over. Then, she looks up at Chad, who is still sitting in the chair in front of her, and says, "You can leave now."

"Not a problem. But we're clear, right?"

"Yes, Chad."

Chad nods then exits the room.

He's walking through the empty hallway on the way back to his dorm when he catches sight of Evie. He calls out to her before he knows what his plan is. Her eyes widen in surprise but she doesn't seem to look apprehensive about talking to him so Chad walks towards her.

"Hey," she says, softly.

"Hi," Chad says back. Fuck, what do I say now?

Evie quirks her eyebrows in question. She's just as clueless as Chad is.

"Uh, I wanted to let you know that I'm serious about trying to make things right between us." Chad inwardly congratulates himself on being able to say something but the applause stops when he says the look on Evie's face. Her lips are drawn tight and her eyes show no emotion.

"Okay," She says, nothing more and nothing less.

"Right, well, I guess I'll see you around."

She nods at him as a sort of goodbye and carries on her way. Chad grimaces slightly, standing alone in the hallway, not knowing what to do about getting into Evie's good graces.

In the end, he heads over to his dorm to play some video games.

"Hey, Chad!" Clovis says, as soon as Chad steps through the door. "I hope you don't mind but I invited Doug, Brent, and Cameron over."

Chad looks over and sees all of them playing a board game. "Oh, yeah, it's fine. Hey, Doug. Brent. Cameron." He nods a hello to each of them.

Brent and Cameron both nod back at him while Doug smiles.

Chad stands still for a moment before walking over to the table and asking if he could join in. The three boys take a moment to respond. Chad's sure he shocked them. He's never participated in any of their group projects or games. He takes a look at the game cover. Dungeons and Dragons.

It's Doug who speaks up. "Of course, come on, take a seat."

Chad smiles back at him and does as he says.

"Chad?" Clovis asks.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever... played DnD before?" He asks slowly.

Chad looks around the table at the other boys and upon reaching Doug, who's sitting next to him, pointedly says, "No."

Doug smiles and laughs at that. Brent and Clovis laugh too. "We'll teach you," Clovis says.

"Thanks, man. I appreciate that."

Chad spends an hour building a character and then re-building a character. 

"Seriously, Chad?" Doug teases.

"What? Paladins seem cooler than Bards."

"Dragonborn are cooler than Halfling," Doug says.

"You think?"

Doug nods.

"Chad, how much longer are you gonna take to make your character?" Cameron calls out.

Chad rolls his eyes. "This is serious business, Cam. If I'm going to play this game, I need to make sure I'm doing so to the best of my ability."

Cameron chuckles and turns back to have a conversation with Brent.

"Are you fine with your set of skills?" Doug asks.

"Yeah, let's get this show on the road."

They don't finish. Cameron gets a text from his sister and so he's the first to leave. Then it's Brent with his stomach gurgling and his 'guess it's time for lunch!'. Doug hangs around for a while, talking and joking around with Clovis, but he leaves too eventually. 

After some time, Chad shares the events of earlier that morning with his roommate. "Clovis, Fairy Godmother says she'll let us switch rooms." 

"Alright. Do you know who you're going to be rooming with?"  

"No." 

Chad watches as Clovis makes a face. "Dude, recon. It's important." 

"Eh, I'll be fine."