Chapter Text
It seemed that every single teacher wanted to pile as much homework on every single student right before spring break. Gwen's hair, usually down and covering her face, was pulled up with a highlighter sticking out of the ponytail holder. David was tapping his foot anxiously while Jasper's lip was bleeding heavily from the amount of chewing it was being forced to endure.
“This is cruel and unusual punishment.” Jasper muttered as he crossed out yet another sentence in his essay draft.
“What did you guys get for 17.b on Schumaker's assignment?” Gwen had all of her textbooks open in front of her, her logic being that if she worked on everything at once, she'd be done faster. This had yet to be proven correct.
“17.b? Uhhhh...” David shifted a stack of books to the other side of the table to find his history book. “Umm... was that... The French or American revolution?”
“It was World War One.” Jasper responded with a yawn, typing something into his mother's clunky laptop.
“Oh, yeah...” They responded in unison.
“Okay so 17.b says...” Gwen began explaining the issue about WW1 and the night continued like that. It was Thursday evening, with several projects due the next day. Then, for one beautiful week, they would be free.
Their junior year spring break would be here and they could go anywhere, do anything they wanted.
They decided they'd be staying over at Gwen's because she had internet access. Loretta was still arguing with the cable and phone companies about getting service at their house.
Still, the sun had been shining, Gwen was able to sleep in and ride her bike to school, stay later at the boys' house, and spend more time outside. She could tell that David and Jasper were pleased with the change in weather as well. They were both smiling more and Jasper's cane found itself tucked back underneath the bed where it would stay for the next eight or so months.
She was, however, frustrated at the progression of their relationship. Or lack there of. Everything seemed to be exactly like it had been before New Year's. She had been watching her friends like a hawk for any sign of affection that pushed beyond platonic, but they remained as close as ever. Which is to say, not dating. What was she missing? What sort of push did they need?
She huffed as she paused in her walk to class, leaning against a pillar. She knew she shouldn't be focusing so hard on getting her two best friends to date, but she also knew they'd be happy. Her eyes focused on the bulletin board in front of her. That. That was it! She snatched the flier off of the corkboard and stuffed it into her pocket.
“Hey, you okay?” Gwen glanced up at the speaker. It was Jasper. She glanced around to check if maybe David was hiding behind him.
“Just taking a second. Class is on the other side of the building. You get it.”
Jasper nodded in understanding and the two took off together.
“So.” Gwen said, ignoring the warning bell to get to class. “Prom. I... know I joked about it last semester but I mean...”
“You seriously want to go? Now that I know you better, you seem like the kind of person to hate stuffy school events like that.”
“Yeah but we can make fun of everyone's poor fashion choices.”
There was a pause as the chatter of students floated around them. It was true that Jasper liked making fun of the people he had known his entire life, but he wasn't sure he could stand a whole night of the decade's worst music.
“One night to dress up fancy.” She added. “Come on, everyone likes to be fancy sometimes.”
Jasper rubbed his arm in thought. “I guess...” Then he smiled. “Sure, Gwen. I'd be happy to go with you.”
Gwen cheered internally. Phase one, complete. “Great! I'll start looking for dresses!”
Jasper gave a light chuckle and the two separated. He wondered why she was suddenly gung-ho about this. Gwen only got excited about two things: monsters and horror movies; he doubted that the theme for prom would be either one of those things. Still, he wanted his friend to be happy. And a night out with her didn't sound so bad. He doubted he would have been able to invite David. What would David look like in a tuxedo, anyway? He couldn't help but blush as he stopped by the teacher's desk to drop off the final assignment for the quarter.
One more hour and they'd be free. Gwen would head back to her house right after school, and David and Jasper would shop for snacks and pack for the week. David had talked Campbell into giving him extra days off, but he did have a few days of work, plus days when he was expected to go train with his coach. Jasper and Gwen both thought that he worked too hard, but there was no convincing him to take a break.
About five minutes before the bell was due to ring, all eyes were on the clock. Even the teacher was ready to be done, or perhaps, especially.
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
DING
DING
DING
Jasper couldn't necessarily rush out of the building, but he moved quicker than usual. Everything was to be deposited in his locker before meeting David and Gwen at the entrance. The only thing going home with him was his trumpet. Solo competitions were coming up, and he was hoping to finally get gold. He had been in the bronze and silver bracket for so long, it was starting to become a sore subject with him.
“Davey! Gwen!” He waved as he caught up, breathing a little heavily.
“Are you okay?” David immediately asked.
“Yeah.” He said. “Yeah, fine. Ready for spring break!”
“Actually, David was just telling me...”
David shifted uncomfortably, not used to letting Jasper down. “I thought I might... spend the week with my mom...”
“T-the whole week?” Jasper asked, wondering if he had ever been away from his best friend for that long.
“Um, I don't know. We didn't make concrete plans...”
“So stay the weekend! We know you have it off!”
“Please, David?” Gwen asked, tugging on his arm. He had gotten even taller, suddenly towering over the both of them like the world's skinniest tree.
The ginger (having finally cut the purple out of his hair) blushed under the scrutiny of his friends. He was used to Jasper's begging, but Gwen really knew how to make a guy feel guilty.
“Fiiiine.” He groaned. “Let's go, Jasper. We'll see you in a bit, Gwen. Pizza?”
“Pizza.” She agreed, shoving her helmet onto her head and strolling over to her bike. She gave her boys a two finger salute and then she was off, the engine from her bike irritating everyone within its radius.
David was quiet as they headed into town. He wasn't used to saying no to his friends. He hoped that they wouldn't be too mad at him. He needed to do this, surely they understood that? He glanced at Jasper while making a right turn. He was looking out the window, arms folded. He looked tense.
He parked the beat-up station wagon and hopped out. Jasper moved a bit more slowly, increasing David's worry. Should he say something? Should he just not mention it?
“Hey, you're spacing out, man.” Jasper said, waving a hand in front of David's face.
“Oh! Sorry. Say, Jasp?”
“Mh-hm?”
“You aren't mad at me, are you?”
“What? No, Davey. I was just surprised when you said you wanted to stay with Rosemary.”
“Yeah, I... thought it might be a good test run. In case I want to like... actually live with her.”
Jasper's sharp intake of breath made David's heart plummet. He distracted himself with grabbing a cart so they could fill it with more Twizzlers than was humanly possible to eat. Why did he tell Jasper that? It was like he was breaking up with him. Surely it felt that way to Jasper, too.
“I think...” Jasper finally said, dropping a couple of bags of peanut M&Ms into the cart. “That I don't want to see you get hurt. And I'm worried that if you put your faith in her, she'll just hurt you all over again.”
“She did come back.” David said, quietly. “She did what she needed to do and then she came back...”
They stood silently, not looking at each other, scared of what they would see in the other's eyes. Why was this so difficult? They had drifted apart last summer, but Gwen brought them back together. They had kissed, but David was thinking about moving out. Were they in this together, or would they really be going their separate ways?
“We're being stupid.” Jasper said. “I should be happy that you're bonding with your mom. And you shouldn't be upset about having to tell us no. We're friends.” He took David's hand.
David gave a shy smile, rubbing his thumb across the back of Jasper's hand. “Yeah. You're right. I guess we both got too in our heads.”
“What else is new?”
They pulled away from each other, fearful of what passersby might think or say to them. They needed to get out of this backwards little mountain town. It still wasn't safe and it was only David's reputation that kept outsiders away.
“Besides,” David continued pushing the cart down the snack aisle, “we'll hang out the whole weekend with Gwen. Either way Mo – Mrs. McElroy gets the house to herself for the week.”
“Gwen's house is on a lot of land.” Jasper said, ignoring David's slip up. “We can take Twinkie out on a hike. We'd have to keep him harnessed, but it'll be a new experience for him.”
In that fashion, they were able to pick up everything on Gwen's list. David shot her a text while they were in the check out line. Maybe it was the little talks with Jasper, maybe it was spending the weekend with Gwen, or maybe it was the spring breeze that ruffled his newly cut hair, but David was happy. Much happier than he had been in a long time.