Chapter Text
Jeanes High was now returning back to school after a deserved winter break. During this period, Jackson took the time to run tests upon his diary and Exer, creating excuses to hang out with him. Jackson felt slightly guilty for this reason, but there was a part of him that truly wanted to move on and make peace with him. Although, on one unfortunate day, Jackson accidentally slipped up about his experiments and had to come clean to Exer. It took him the rest of the break to process, but Exer eventually moved on from that information and continued to live his life semi-normal. This was the case likewise for David when Exer told him about the diary, but there is still a feeling he can not shake away....
"Wait- what do you mean man?"
"I know, it's crazy....He said basically whatever he writes in his diary....it turns real and affects me"
"H-how is that....why...what?!"
"Daaaaavid? Hellooo David?"
David snapped back to reality from his thought and smiled at Exer. "Ah! Hey man!" he greeted with a smile.
"Hey what's up? Can't believe were back to school already!" Exer greeted back as pulled in the chair at their desk. David softly smiled in agreement, trying to shake away his previous thought. He had the brake to process the new information about the diary, but it still felt like there was something that didn't seem right with him.
There it was again: David's disconnection. "You good man? You seemed a bit lost in thought there, haha!" Exer asked lightheartedly.
"Ermm, yeah! I'm just adjusting going back to school, my whole sleep schedule is thrown off," David chuckled, figuring not to make a fuss about what he had been thinking about. Exer softly smiled and raised his eyebrow. "Really," David reassured, squeezing Exer's hand under the desk. The two smiled and faced the front of the room as class began to start, thus commencing their first day back.
- - -
As the week progressed, David went about his days as normal, yet his doubts getting the best of him every now and then.
. . .
"Ah, well thanks for the ride!" David thanked as he pecked Exer on the cheek and prepared to exit his car. They had pulled up to Brenda's house. One of the-and probably the only-good things about David being kicked out from his Dad's house was that he was now living with Brenda and his mom. William no longer wanted any association with his son.
"No problem!" Exer smiled. "Ah dude, wait!"
"What's up?"
"Are you free to spend the night at my place tomorrow? I wish we'd be able to do it sooner in the week but it's always so annoying when we have school the next day..." Exer chuckled.
"Hell yeah!" David grinned. "Thanks, I'd love to!"
"Sweet!" Exer exclaimed. The two couldn't help but maintain the warm look beaming off each other before David got out and lovingly waved goodbye. Once he entered his house, Exer sighed in relief and drove off. They had made it a thing to spend at least a night together every week or so since they begun dating. This was always the highlight of each other's week, but that night in particular Exer planned to lightly ask what was up with David. He knew something had to be up, he was off for the past few weeks! To be frank with himself, Exer had no clue what it could be. But, a negative voice in the back of Exer's head told him that it was because of him. That David's disconnection was the result of Exer's unfathomable repulsive-ness. To be fair, Exer was able to see some unlikeable aspects of himself as to why David started becoming so uninterested. Was this something his mind created to set his worries upon something rather than fearing the pure unknown? Exer couldn't tell. Was he simply just worrying too much, and the moment he asked David what was wrong, it turned out everything was alright? Frankly, Exer hoped this wasn't the case. Deep down, he knew something was off, and David denying what Exer was confident to have noticed difference in would only mess him up more.
. . .
*Siiigh* David exhaled against the door once he got inside.
"Long day?" Brenda chuckled from the kitchen counter.
"Uhh, yeah, just a lot of homework," David nervously laughed, "better start it now." He grabbed a snack from the pantry and made his way to Brenda's room, where David was staying for the time-being of him being kicked out. He took a textbook from his backpack but merely stared at the open page.
"What is wrong with me, man?" he groaned. "Gosh, does he not see it?" A lump formed in David's throat, his eyes stringing. He hunched in a ball on the floor with his head on his knees and armed wrapped around forward.
"Does he not realize that our relationship could be a lie?"
Ever since learning about the news of Jackson's diary and how it controlled Exer, not only was it terrifying to learn of its capabilities, but it opened numerous unanswered questions. It was told that whatever Jackson wrote would become true. So, how were they supposed to know that Exer gaining interest for David wasn't an act of the diary? How were they supposed to know that his affection was genuine, and not essentially forced? Either way, during the time that this new information was told, these sickening thoughts that their relationship potentially being nothing but an imposed manifestation was a possibility that soon crept into David's mind, creating doubt and confusion.
"Agh, why can't I enjoy things for once? I'm going to my boyfriend's house!" David unraveled himself and laid his legs flat on the ground. "I'm not going to ruin this night. I will go to his place and enjoy myself. I'm not going to be bothered by these problems, I'll just...address them some other time..yeah that's it." That settled it. David triumphantly grabbed a pencil and got started on his homework. Nothing was going to get between his and Exer's night.