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“Mr. Talis, Do you ever plan on actually working on the worksheet I gave you?” The annoying voice of Jayce’s chemistry teacher pulled him out of his slumber.
He lifted his head off the desk. He rubbed the back of his neck to attempt to ease the stiffness to it. “Yes, sir,” Came Jayce’s drowsy response.
At least this was a chemistry class; Jayce never learned anything new in here anyway.
Jayce skimmed over the worksheet. Boyle’s law? Seriously? Were they actually still on that? They’ve been on it for weeks.
He loved science, but he would really enjoy it more if it were something new for once.
Unsurprisingly, Jayce finished his paper fairly quickly. He got bored soon as well and decided to annoy his table partner, as well as his best friend, Viktor. They were partners in the science fair and had yet to finish their poster for it.
He wondered if the teacher would catch him if he passed notes with Viktor. This class was always unsettlingly quiet except when there was a lab or group work. It was like talking was forbidden….
He settled on passing notes with Viktor anyway. It’s not like anything he would write would be inappropriate if the teacher threatened to read it out loud.
“Hey, Viktor. Wanna come over after school to work on the poster?” Jayce wrote on a new sheet of paper and slid it over to Viktor’s desk.
“Yes. I’ll bring my markers,” Was Viktor’s written response to the question.
All Jayce wrote was “Okay” and a smiley face which prompted him to doodle on the page. For some reason when doodling, his mind automatically went to Viktor. He had drawn Viktor countless times by now. It was like second nature by this point.
Viktor happened to glance over and noticed Jayce’s drawing. He knew it was him. He reached over and drew a heart right next to it.
Jayce smiled. God, he was so cute.
He stopped doodling after a while. He had history next and he wanted to squeeze another nap in before it. Luckily, Caitlyn was in his history class and she could restate — with words; her notes are god awful to try and understand — what was taught so Jayce didn’t have to listen to the full lesson.
Did it hurt his ego that Caitlyn, a Junior in an honors Senior class, had to help him? Well, yes. But he would never admit that (She definitely already knew that.)
Speaking of Cait, he’d have to tell her he couldn’t come over since he had to work on that poster with Viktor.
The bell woke Jayce up. Once again, his neck was stiff. It felt like he hadn’t slept at all. Kind of a pointless nap.
He got up, touched Viktor on the shoulder as goodbye and walked out his class.
He got to history. He tossed his book bag down on the floor beside his chair and sat down.
“Hey, Sprout,” Jayce said to Caitlyn as soon as she set foot into the classroom.
Caitlyn’s response was simple, yet sweet, “Hi.”
He watched as Caitlyn got her notebooks out, along with her pens and highlighters, and sat down in her chair.
He spoke up, “I can’t come over today; I’m working on that science fair project with Viktor after school.”
“That’s fine, great even. I’m going to Vi’s” Caitlyn waved him off, “I hope her sister doesn’t bite me again. She’s not too fond of me.”
“She bit you??” Jayce couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him, “Why doesn’t she like you?”
Caitlyn let out a long sigh, “I’m unsure. I think she’s upset that Vi doesn’t have her full attention when I come over. She’ll come around… maybe.”
Jayce simply let out a laugh in response. Unfortunately, the class bell rang which meant all of Cait’s attention went to the teacher.
He got lost on his thoughts once the teacher started talking about laws certain important figures made over the years. All the names just blended in together. He couldn’t get his mind to stop wandering to Viktor.
Jayce shifted his gaze over at Caitlyn’s notebook. He attempted to read what she wrote. It was coherent in the very beginning but the more Jayce read, the more the words just turned into scribbles. He honestly has no idea how she reads her notes.
Once the bell rang, Jayce put the solid two items he actually took out of his bag up and waited for Caitlyn to pack her stuff up. She always took twenty years since she was always so fancy with her different colored pens and highlighters.
He stood beside the doorway before she finally finished up and caught up with him. They walked together down the hallway into the cafeteria. Within that timeframe, Jayce made Caitlyn give him an overview of what she wrote in her notes.
Jayce saw Viktor and Vi standing in the lunch line together. Jayce left Caitlyn in the dust to go see Viktor.
The four of them talked for what felt like forever while waiting for it to be their turn to get their lunches. They all sat together when they finally got their trays, Jayce and Viktor on one side, Vi and Cait on the other.
“Have you seen Powder today?” Vi asked, directing her question to Jayce and Viktor. Jayce assumed she had asked Caitlyn earlier.
Jayce shook his head. He hadn’t seen Jinx all day, not that he normally saw her at all.
Viktor replied, “I haven’t seen her since after first period.”
Vi let out a groan, “Well shes not here. She has the same lunch as us.”
“Is she with Ekko?” Caitlyn asked, “She’s usually in his class when we can’t find her at lunch.”
“Thats tr…” Vi’s voice faded out as Jayce caught eyes with a woman who he would only describe as a goddess. God, she was absolutely stunning.
Her name was Mel, and Jayce had been fawning over her ever since he saw her during in the hallway one time. Her hair, her makeup, just.. her everything. She was gorgeous.
“..Jayce? Jayce?” Viktor’s voice broke Jayce out of his thoughts and he turned to him. “Yeah?”
Viktor looked unamused as he asked, “Are you going to prom?”
He thought about it for a moment. Actually… prom would be a great way to ask Mel out. He should go.
“Yeah, maybe,” Jayce answered, “Are you going?”
“Depends on who you’re going with,” Viktor replied.
Jayce didn’t exactly understand what that meant but he told Viktor the truth, “I’m thinking of asking Mel.”
He saw Viktor’s entire face change. He knew he said something wrong. “Hey, wait, no.. whats wrong?” He asked quickly, putting his hand on Viktor’s back.
Viktor pushed his hand away and shook his head, “Nothing.” He turned away from Jayce and started to eat his lunch.
“Did you want to go to prom together?” Jayce asked, “We can, Viktor. It would be better with you than anyone else, anyway.”
Viktor, once again, shook his head, “Take Mel. I just won’t go. It’s okay.”
He glanced up to see Vi and Cait’s reaction but it seemed they left before things got too bad. Jayce hadn’t even noticed them get up.
“Viktor—“
“No.”
Viktor was saved by the bell that went off right before Jayce could get another word out.
Jayce wanted to keep persisting but he knew Viktor needed space right now.
The rest of the school day went by. Jayce wasn’t exactly expecting Viktor to show up to his house like they agreed on, but he did.
While working on the poster, he spoke up, “Look, if you really want me to take you to prom, I will.”
“Stop, Jayce,” Viktor said firmly, “It doesn’t matter anymore. Just go with Mel.”
“Theres a chance she won’t even say yes,” Jayce argued, “It’ll be better if I take someone I know who will.”
“Focus,” Was all Viktor responded with.
So, Jayce shut himself up. He knew that it was pointless to argue. They needed to focus on the poster anyway.
The two of them continued to work on the poster together in silence.
Eventually, it came time for Viktor to head home. Jayce would’ve asked him to sleep over if he wasn’t mad at him.
This entire situation was making Jayce want to drop the idea of asking Mel to prom… and he would have if Viktor would let him. In the end, he’d rather have a prom date than none at all.
So, after school the next day, Jayce went to the store to buy her some flowers and planned on asking her the next day.
Jayce was ripped out of his thoughts when he heard Vi’s voice from behind him, “Jayce? Who’re you buying flowers for?”
“Mel,” He answered simply, glancing over at her for a few seconds before returning his gaze back on the flowers.
Vi cocked her head to the side, “What’s the occasion? Prom?”
“Yeah,” Jayce confirmed with a nod, “I don’t know what flowers to get.”
“I’ll be surprised she even talks to you,” Vi teased, laugh escaping her lips.
Jinx interrupted, “Vi, can we get cupcakes?”
Vi turned to her sister with an unamused expression, “We *just* bought cupcakes, Powder.”
“Stop calling me that in public!” Jinx complained, “You and your stupid girlfriend keep eating them!”
Vi rolled her eyes, “Cait hardly eats when shes over. Something about it being rude or some dumb rich people thing, I don’t fucking know. And don’t call her stupid; shes not the one skipping her classes.”
While Vi spoke, Jinx mocker her talking with her hands as well as her expressions and stance.
“Dye your roots. They’re coming in,” Vi grumbled, pushing her sister (gently) away and turning back to Jayce, “Cait’s friends with Mel. I can ask her what flowers she likes.”
“Why would Cait just happen to know what flowers Mel likes?” Jayce questioned.
Vi paused for a moment before she responded, “…. Good question. Well! Good luck, pretty boy! You’ll need it.”
She walked away with Jinx lingering behind her. Jinx just so happened to grab the cupcakes without Vi seeing her.
Jayce sighed as he looked back at the flowers. He ultimately decided on red roses. They were basic but they were still pretty.
The next day rolled around and Jayce was antsy. He kept fidgeting with his outfit to try and make sure he looked good. There was no ‘good’ time to really ask Mel to prom so he settled for lunch time.
He got up from the chair he was sitting in in the cafeteria when he saw Mel. He clutched onto the flowers in his hands tightly. He made his way over to her and handed them to her.
“Do you want to go to prom with me?” Jayce asked. He thought he had said it properly. Though, it turned out he barely managed to stutter the question out.
Mel took the flowers from him gratefully. She looked as if she were trying not to laugh at him. “Sure thing, Jayce,” She said with a smile.
Jayce’s heart was racing a million miles a minute. He couldn’t believe she actually said yes to him.
Throughout the day, Jayce kept trying to get a hold of Viktor through text message to see if he was going to be coming over after school to work on their poster. He even tried calling a few times even though he knew he would get in trouble. He would’ve tried to find him but he wasn’t here today. Guess he wasn’t coming over. It was alright; Jayce could finish it by himself. There wasn’t much left to be done.
At home, Jayce completed the poster. It took him a lot longer than it should’ve but his mind was elsewhere.
All he could think about was Viktor. He was wondering why Viktor cared anyway. He thought Vitor didn’t have anyone else to go with and that’s why he got so upset… but was that really the only reason? Or was it something else entirely? He honestly didn’t even want to go to prom anymore. Viktor was more important to him than a girl.
All he really wanted was his best friend back…. Best friend? Was that all Jayce saw him as? Or did Viktor somehow make his way into Jayce’s heart, too? Maybe his hallway crush made him turn a blind eye to the person he actually loved.
The day of the science fair rolled around and prom was the day after. Jayce got himself ready. He figured Viktor wasn’t going to show up since he had been avoiding him so far. Plus, Viktor wasn’t exactly fond of public speaking.
Even if Jayce ended up unwillingly taking all the credit, Viktor’s name was still written on the poster.
It went well… as well as it could’ve gone.
It was the night of prom. Jayce wasn’t with Mel. He was instead at Viktor’s doorstep, standing out in the pouring rain like a lost puppy.
Viktor opened the door. He was surprised to see Jayce considering the fact he was supposed to be at prom right now. “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be with Mel.”
“I canceled. She wanted to go with Sevika anyway,” Jayce replied.
Viktor let out a sigh, stepping out of the doorway so Jayce could get through, “Get out of the rain.”
Jayce walked inside. He stayed near the door so he wasn’t trailing water throughout the house. “Why have you been avoiding me? Please talk to me. I can’t lose you,” He practically begged.
Viktor handed him a towel and gave a response, “I was upset. You chose her over me. But then you… canceled your date because of me. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I’d rather be with you,” Jayce said, wiping his face off and drying his hair with the towel he was given.
Viktor sat down in a nearby chair, leaning his cane against the wall within reach. He asked, “Why? I thought you liked her.”
“Turns out you’re all I need,” Jayce admitted with an affectionate smile on his lips.
Viktor’s eyes glimmered and he broke out into a smile as well. He hummed in response as he got up, “I’ll get you a change of clothes.”
Jayce waited patiently for Viktor to come back, standing in a small puddle by this point.
Viktor came back with a change of clothes. Jayce took them gratefully. He took off both his shoes and socks before he walked any further into the house.
He changed in the bathroom. Viktor showed up in the doorway while Jayce was getting dressed.
“Jayce,” Viktor started, “I’m sorry I got upset. You deserve to be with whoever you want.”
“Viktor,” Jayce turned to him, finishing up getting dressed, and then put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay.” He then leaned down to him and pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “C’mon. Let’s watch a movie.”