Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The city of Gardenview, it isn’t a big city- like New York or something. It only has about 5,000 residents give or take. On Main Street, there's a bakery called “Baker n’ Snap” It’s locally owned, and the city's residents describe it as a comfy, homey place to stop at to get a little treat before going about your business. It’s owned by the Baker family, and the Snap family as the name suggested. They aren’t very wealthy, but they have a passion for their craft, which is one of the reasons why the bakery is so beloved.

It was a normal, busy morning at BNS (As the people call it.). “Debbie, we’re out of cinnamon rolls!” A lady with white hair called out from the counter.

“On it, Saffron.” Said the other woman, presumably Debbie. She picked up a tray of cinnamon rolls and began to carry them over to the counter, carefully. Just then, 2 little kids came running out from one of the backrooms- nearly trampling her.

“Sorry, mom!” The one with brown hair apologized as he kept running.

“Yeah, sorry, Aunt Debbie!” The second child said after. The 2 children kept running towards the door-

“Hold it!” The woman yelled, stopping the kids dead in their tracks, “Cosmo, Ginger- where are you going?”

“Park!” Ginger replied, not turning to face her.

“You know the rules, be back before 10 AM.”

“We will!” Both the kids said at the same time, rushing out of the door and down the street.

“What are we gonna play today?” Ginger asked, as they slowed down their pace a little.

“Depends on who else is there.” Cosmo answered.

“Ooo, I hope Shellys there. She's the BEST at freeze tag.” Ginger spoke, clapping her hands together all excited.

“Yeah, I wonder how she does it.. She’s not that fast.” He mentioned, as they continued walking.

They turned the corner, and arrived at the park. The park was about what you’d expect. Sand, jungle gyms, swings and a bunch of kids running around.

In Gardenview, it was seen as pretty safe to let your kid wander around as the crime rate was extremely low. The 2 kids looked around and spotted a girl with sandy blonde hair. Shelly!

“Oh, Cosmo, Ginger!” She gasped, running over to them to greet them.

“Hi, Shelly!” Ginger waved.

“There’s someone I want you guys to meet!” Shelly began, “This is Sprout!” She pointed to the kid standing next to her, they were all the same age.

“Hi, I’m Ginger, that's Cosmo!” Ginger introduced, she seemed happy to meet another kid.. But Cosmo had to question it.

“Wait, how come we’ve never met before? Are you new?” Cosmo questioned, sort of inspecting this kid.

“Uhh, no?” Sprout answered with a nervous chuckle, “I’ve been homeschooled, and my parents are kinda overprotective.. So I don’t have many friends yet.” He continued, “But, I’m starting school this year so things should change.”

“Ginger, let me show you the new dolls I got!” Shelly grabbed her arm and ran off elsewhere.

“Should we follow them?” Sprout asked.

“Nah, I don’t like dolls that much.” Cosmo responded, looking at the ground.

“Well, what do you like?” Sprout asked… Again.

“It might sound a little dumb, but I like baking and stuff.” He admitted, glancing up at the other boy.

Sprout’s eyes lit up at the confession, “Really? You like baking too?”

“I LOVE baking! My mom says I’m not old enough to use a real oven though, so I have an easy bake oven.” The brown-eyed boy mentioned.

“I have 2 easy bake ovens!” The taller boy remarked.

“Wow! That’s a lot of ovens.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

The 2 boys kept talking until a lady with red hair and green eyes walked up to them, she didn’t look very happy.

“Sprout Seedly, what are you doing?” She hissed, placing a hand on her hip.

“T-talking, Mom.” He uttered, looking nervous.

Cosmo didn’t know what to do, he felt kinda scared.

“Sweetie, what have I told you about talking to… Them?” She said, in a sour tone.

Them? What does that mean?

“I’m sorry..” He mumbled, looking up at her.

“We’ll be going now, come along.” The lady huffed, turning around and walking off.”

Cosmo looked at Sprout, confusion written on his face.. But he didn’t know how to ask.

“Uh, bye..” Sprout said cautiously, “I hope we get to hang out again.”

“Yeah, me too.” Cosmo waved slightly.

The green eyed boy began to follow his mother. As Cosmo stood there, he couldn’t help but wonder what the women meant.. What was wrong with him?

Chapter Text

The annoying sound of his alarm went off. Except he didn't have an alarm. Cosmo woke up, with a familiar weight on his chest. His eyes blinked open to see another pair looking directly at him.

"Hi, Munchkin" Cosmo yawned, moving his hands to pet the cat's Medium-length brown fur.

Let's just say... Munchkin isn't exactly a small cat... So, it's a little difficult to breathe with her laying directly on his chest.

"Mreow." The cat replied... Because It's a cat.

"Okay, get off me." Cosmo advised before picking her up and moving her off of him. She didn't really care.

As he stretched his arms, his door opened, "Are you just getting up? Ginger asked.

"...Maybe." Cosmo replied awkwardly.

"You have 30 minutes to get ready." She stated, still putting on her lip gloss.

"I can work with that just fine." The brown-haired boy replied, "You're the one that takes forever."

"Ther get to it, tic toc." She Said, closing the door.

Cosmo finished stretching and got up, walking over to his tiny closet. "Alright, 1st day of Junior year, what do I wear?"

"Meow."

"I know all my clothes look the same."

"Mrrp."

"Are you done?"

Munchkin didn't respond that time

-----

Cosmo, now fully ready, make his way downstairs to the bakery. Ginger was already down there, helping their moms get ready for opening time.

It was just them and their moms, both of their dads aren't in the picture So they ran the bakery and lived in the upstairs area, Cosme Never met his dad, at least he can't remember meeting him. Ginger on the other hand, spent every other weekend at her dad's house- birthdays, 2 christmases.

They aren't exactly "well-off" like other families around, but they got what they needed. Thats all Cosmo could ask for.

Cosmo Looked at the pink clock on the wall, It read 7:36. "Ging, we Should get going

"Alright, then." Ginger shrugged, taking her pinkish-red bookbag off of the counter.

"Not without breakfast." Her mother retorted, "we have plenty of things baked, take something."

"I'm okay, Aunt Saffron plus, you'll have less stock if we take stuff." Cosmo replied politely.

"We can spare a roll or 2, we always have leftovers anyway." His Mom added, patting him on the shoulder.

"Really, I'm-"

"Eat Something."

-----

"I like the pastries, I do." Cosmo sighed, "But, we eat them ALL the time

The Cousins were now walking along the Street, on their way to school

"It's best to just to as your mom Says, sometimes," Ginger replied.

There was a short silence, before Ginger piped up again, "One more year and we're outta this place."

"I Know, it's scary to think about" the boy mumbled.

"Then, think about it when you're red" She put a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly.

After a couple minutes, they arrived at the School.

It's probably one of the biggest buildings in the city, There're 5 seperate buildings that make up the school. They're all white brick with faint mint and blue accents, the school colors.

"I hope I remember my locker combo." Cosmo added in a semi-joke-way..

They made their way into the VERY loud hallway, everyone was talking and catching up.

"Oh, I see Bobbette.. I'm gonna go talk to her, see you at 4th period!" Ginger waved, then walked away.

Cosmo was now left alone, trying to remember where exactly his locker was ".. 325... No. 335..." He Mumbled to himself.

"336." A voice said behind him.

"Oh, so you can remember my locker number but you can't remember to turn off your oven." Cosmo teased, crossed his arms and turned around to see none other than Sprout.

"And you're the opposite." Sprout shot back.

"One of us has to remember, or the cooking class would've burnt down by now. The shorter boy replied, "I'm going to my locker now." He began to walk away.

"I'll come along, then." The other began to follow.

They walked out of the main hall, and into the 3rd hall, Where Cosmo's locker was located.

Suddenly, Cosno stepped on something. He looked down to see a purple book with a heart lock on it.

He picked it up, "I've never seen anyone with this before."

"Maybe it belongs to a freshmen?" Sprout suggested.

"I'm gonna hold on to it, so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands" He said, tucking it into his bookbag..

"Does it have a Name on it?"

"Not from what I saw... I'll Find who it belongs to." The brown-eyed boy stated, "They'll have the key."

"Okay, I'll look out." The taller boy said.

The bell rang, and they said their goodbyes and Cosmo began to head to math.

As he walked into class, he scanned the room to see if someone looked like they lost a diary. He sat down in the middle row, 3rd chair - next to some girl with red hair and a beanie, covering half of her eyes.

The class began to fill up, and the teacher walked in. The teacher was a person with red hair, and brown eyes. They seemed like your average “I'm literally just here to get paid.” Type of teacher.

“Alright, I'm Professor Mclaughlin. I'll be your math teacher for this year. Memorize those spots because that is where you'll be sitting for the entire year.” The teacher said as they stood in front of the class.

"If you don't memorize by Monday, the seats will be randomly assigned." As they finished their sentence, the teacher looked around the room, "Okay, I'll be passing out your work. Get on it."

Cosmo looked over at the red-haired girl, she seemed to be focused on texting someone. He decided to leave her be and get started on his work.

The girl put her phone away as the math teacher walked up to her, "Ms. Gianna, no phones in class."

Gianna rolled her eyes as she looked up at them.

"Put out your hand." They said, motioning at her to give them her phone.

Gianna reluctantly plopped her phone into her hand.

Gianna turned to Cosmo after they'd walked away and sighed, "Ugh, I hate Mclaughlin.”

"Well, they'll take your phone away if you're using it, Gianna." Cosmo pointed out bluntly.

"Well thanks for that info, Captain obvious." Gianna retorted sarcastically, "Also, it's Gigi.”

"Oh, sorry, Gigi." The boy apologized, "I'm Cosmo, by the way."

Gigi looked him up and down, sizing him up for a second, "That's a weird name, like the brownie.”

"Thanks, it means 'Order in the Universe', but I guess you can just call me a dessert." Cosmo smirked jokingly.

"Ohhh, are you Ginger's cousin?" Gigi asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep, that's me. Are you one of her friends or...?" He replied.

Gigi shrugged, "Kinda. We're locker buddies.”

"I see, I see..." He nodded slowly.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out, you're both named after desserts.”

"Ha ha, very funny." Cosmo replied dryishly.

The Teacher walked up to them and sat a stack of work on each of their desks, "You can talk after you finish those." They stated as they continued to pass out work.

"I hate this class already." Gigi groaned as she stared at the stack of work on her desk, “It's only the 1st 10 minutes.”

-----

For the next couple periods, Cosmo continued to search for the owner of the diary.. Then, lunch came along. He was waiting outside by the door for Sprout to show up.. When he heard a familiar voice.

“You still haven't found it?” The voice said.

He looked over to see Gigi talking to 2 other girls, One with auburn hair and glasses, the other with blonde hair, with pink highlights.

The blonde haired girl shook her head and looked down, it was obvious that she was feeling a bit upset.

Then, the other girl placed her hand on her shoulder, “Don't worry Flutter, we'll find your diary.”

Diary.

DIARY.

Cosmo opened his mouth to speak, but then Sprout arrived, “Hey, bud! How's your day–” Cosmo practically slung off his bookbag, and began to look through it. “-been?”

“No, no.. Where is it?!” The brown-haired boy mumbled, looking through the bag.

“Where's what?”

“The thing!”

“Did you lose it?” Sprout asked.

Cosmo sat down on the concrete, “Why am I so stupid?” He groaned, and put his hands over his eyes.

"Hey now, It's not your fault." Sprout tried to reassure, "You just misplaced it."

"But I found the owner, and now I don't have it!" Cosmo exclaimed.

“Tell you what,” Sprout replied, kneeling down to look at his face. “Let's go talk to Vee and them, see if they've seen it.”

Cosmo rubbed his eye and sniffled, “Okay.”

Sprout held out a hand for Cosmo to take, which he did without hesitation.

The two boys walked into the lunch room, quickly spotting a girl with green hair- Vee. She was sitting at a table with Shelly, and Astro.

"Hey, guys." Sprout greeted as he sat down at the table.

The other three at the table look over at him and Cosmo.

“Hey, is something up?” Vee spoke, looking at the two.

“Yeah, actually. Have any of you guys seen a purple book with a heart lock on it?” The shorter boy asked, looking around at the table.

Shelly shrugged, “I don't think I have.”

Astro just shook his head and continued to eat his food before sighing, "Every lost item in this school ends up with 1 person…”

“If he has it.. He's not gonna give it up for free.” Vee replied, shutting their laptop.

“Welp, it's worth a shot?” Shelly added, standing up from her seat, “Let's go.”

-----

The group headed outside of the cafeteria, and headed into the boy's bathroom in Hall A. The bathroom always had an “Out of order” sign on it, people only went in and out of it during lunch time either to smoke, or sell/buy from Dandy.

They opened the big stall at the end and as usual, Dandy was in there, on his phone. Next to him was a box, and a bag filled with his “goods” which mostly consisted of lost items or confiscated items he managed to steal from the principal (Who happened to be related to him.)

“Well, if it ain't my favorite people in the school. “ Dandy said, looking up from his phone only to glance at Astro.

“Hey, Dandy.” Shelly greeted politely.

“What do you guys need?” He replied.

“We think you got something we want, we were wondering if we can buy it off you.” Vee answered, crossing her arms.

“How much you willin' to pay?” The boy in the stall asked, eyes finally looking away from his phone.

“How much did you buy it for?” Vee retorted, keeping on a ‘poker face’.

“What item are you huntin’?” Dandy asked again, motioning to his goods.

“We're looking for a purple diary, with a heart-shaped lock on it.” Cosmo spoke up, looking at the boy in the stall.

Dandy reached over to the box, shuffling his items around before pulling out the book, "You mean this one?" He asked, holding it up.

Vee raised an eyebrow, looking at the boy in the box before replying, "Yup, how much do you want for it?"

Dandy thought for a moment, before stating, "Fifty.”

They all look at each in shock.

Sprout is the first to speak, “Fifty dollars!?”

“Yup, I know y'all got the money."Dandy stated, "Take it or leave it.”

Shelly pulled her wallet out of her pocket and reached for the money, only for Cosmo to stop her.

“Wait!” He called out and Shelly looked at him with a raised brow, "There has to be something else you want?”

Dandy thought for a moment, and then smirked slightly, “There is.”

Vee piped up, patting Astro's shoulder, "Well, Astro it was nice knowing you."

"Wait, what?”

Dandy rolled his eyes, "You guys are too quick to make assumptions... I got a simple request, really.”

Sprout raised an eyebrow, "Which is?”

“Your mom makes some fuckin’ good strawberry pound cake..” Dandy says, looking directly at Sprout, “Gimme your lunch box I know you got it.”

Sprout sighed, "You really want it that bad, huh?"

Dandy nodded, "Yup, I'll give ya the book once you get me that cake.”

“Fine.” Sprout shrugged and dug through his bag before handing over his lunch box. “It’s in the red container.”

Dandy opened the lunch box and grabbed the small container, "Pleasure doin’ business with y’all.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll be taking the book.” Vee replied as she reached over and grabbed the book.

“Yeah, yeah, get goin' then." Dandy said, waving them off as he opened the container.

“Jesus, knock it off with the fake Jersey accent.” Sprout groaned, snatching back his lunch box.

-----

Cosmo held the book in his hand with a smile on his face, “Thanks guys!”

The bell then rang.

“Oh.. We spent lunch buying a book back.” Sprout complained.

The other 3 walked off to get to class.

“Well, you can come over afterschool..” The shorter boy suggested.

“I'd love to.” Sprout replied, “But… Y'know.”

“Yeah.. I do..”

They parted ways and began to walk to their final classes. Cosmo kept a look out for the owner of the diary, to no avail.. And eventually he had to go to class.

The rest of the day seemed to pass painstakingly slow, the last period ticked by at an agonizing pace, but finally, the bell rang.

Cosmo stood outside of the building, waiting for Ginger.

A couple minutes later, Ginger came walking out of the school with her friends. She quickly ran over to him, "Ready to go?”

"Yup, let's get going." He replied, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder.

They began walking down the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the bakery. A lot of other people were walking along the street, considering school was just let out.

Cosmo looked on the other side of the street, and spotted a girl. A girl with blonde hair and pink highlights.

"Hey, Ging, I'll be right back." He said, pausing in his steps.

'Huh? Why?" She questioned, stopping to look at him.

"I'll explain in a minute, don't go anywhere. " He instructed, as he turned around and jogged across the street.

Once he made it across, he approached the girl, and tapped her on the shoulder.

The girl stopped and turned around, looking at who tapped her. When she saw Cosmo, she raised an eyebrow, "...”

"Hi, uh..." Cosmo started, quickly trying to figure out the name of the girl. "I'm sorry, but I think this is yours..?”

He pulled the purple diary out of his bookbag and held it out towards the girl.

The girl's eyes widened when she saw the diary, and she carefully took it from him. She didn't make any noise as she looked up at him and nodded. She then held up one of her hands, and made a motion with them. She put her hand to her chin, and then pushed her hand out to him.

He wasn't quite sure what she was trying to say, but he smiled and nodded in response, "Happy to help.”

Chapter Text

“Okay, you have food, you have water…” Dandy listed, making sure Pebble was set before he went off to school. “Alright, I'll see you later, bud!”

The tiny dog ran up to him and pulled on his pants leg, whimpering.

“I gotta go, bud.” He sighed, shaking the dog off.

Pebble continued to whine until the door was shut in his face. He sat in front of the door and howled, he didn't want his owner to go.

Then, he noticed Dandy had left one of his bags. Dandy tended to carry around a lot of bags with his “goods.”

Pebble made his way over to the bag and jumped into it, his tiny legs making it a bit difficult, knowing Dandy would come back for it.

Dandy locked the apartment door behind him and shoved his keys into his pocket, letting out a sigh.

He started walking away from the door, but then paused, "Wait, did I forget something?" He said to no one in particular, trying to recall if he left anything inside.

He patted his pockets and then patted the bags on his back, before realizing he didn't feel his school bag.

"Damnit." He grumbled, turning around and unlocking the apartment door again.

He walked inside the apart and closed the door with a loud thud, "Pebble, I forgot-”

He paused as he realized the apartment was quiet. Normally, his dog would be excitedly running up to him, but there was no tiny patter of paws on the tile floor.

He walked inside the apart and closed the door with a loud thud, "Pebble, I forgot-”

He paused as he realized the apartment was quiet. Normally, his dog would be excitedly running up to him, but there was no tiny patter of paws on the tile floor.

"Pebble?.. Pebble!" Dandy called out.

It was an odd feeling.. The apartment was eerily quiet. He wasn't used to the silence, since he's grown used to the sound of yips and barks.

Then, his phone began to ring- that was his alarm, telling him he had to get going to school. “Shit, I'm sure he's just sleepy or something.”

He grabbed his phone and turned off the alarm, quickly putting the phone back into his pocket. He headed into the living room before calling out once more, "Pebble, I'm heading out, okay?"

Silence.

Dandy sighed, grabbing his bags, "See you later, alright?" He started to walk out of the apartment again.

He shut the door behind him and locked it back, putting his keys safely in his pocket. He then started walking down the apartment complex hallway, sighing as he left the building and headed in the direction of school.

The school campus was the same as always. Some people were talking with their groups of friends, others were walking solo, and then there were the couples.

He passed by all the different cliques, rolling his eyes at some of the people he walked by.

Despite being the student body president, (Which was 100% because he was voted for and NOT because he was related to the principal.) And he has to interact with all types of different students, and be all nice and proper- he didn't actually like many of them… And he's pretty sure they don't like him either, whether that be because of shop prices or not.

Despite his 'popularity', he was really only ever talked to by other students if they needed/wanted something. No one ever asked how his day was going, or how he was doing in his classes. And to be completely honest to himself…

He really didn't care about many of the students at the sch-

"Good morning, Dandy.”

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He stopped and slowly looked over his shoulder to see a boy with black hair, the boy who constantly wore sweatpants to school, always carrying around blankets despite it being against the dress code, always having a sleepy look on his face..

"Oh, good morning, Astro." Dandy replied after a moment, turning around and shifting the bags on his back.

Astro stared at him for a moment, seemingly zoning out. This wasn't exactly unusual.. When Astro's not sleeping, he's zoning out, or being dragged around by Shelly... Or Vee.. Or Sprout... Or- you get it.

"You good?" Dandy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Astro snapped out of it, "Huh?.. Oh. Yeah, I'm fine." He answered as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"You sure? You look like you're gonna pass out while standing." Dandy retorted, looking at him with a hint of skepticism.

"No, I'm fine, I swear." Astro insisted, but Dandy didn't seem to believe him. This caused Astro to sigh, "How's your day been?”

Dandy was a bit surprised by the sudden question, but he quickly answered, "So far?.. It's been alright. I've only been awake for two hours at most.. Pebble has been a little odd, that's about it.”

"Odd?" Astro questioned, tilting his head.

"I just can't seem to find him, that's all." Dandy shrugged, trying not to let the worry show.

"Maybe he's just sleeping, he does sleep a lot, y'know? He's a dog." Astro suggested.

Just then, a familiar girl with green hair popped up and grabbed Astro's shoulders, “Of course you're talking about sleeping. But we gotta get to science class.” It was obviously Vee.

She glanced over at Dandy, pursing her lips for a moment, “Dandy.”

“Vee.”

Vee looked at him with a raised eyebrow, silently questioning him. Dandy just rolled his eyes, "Need something?"

"Only an idiot would buy from you.”

“Well, it seems this school is full of idiots, then.” Dandy said with a smirk, “Gotta make a living somehow, don’t I, Miss ‘student body treasurer ‘?”

Vee rolled her eyes at his words, “You know, I'm still trying to get you caught for these stupid deals."

"And I'm just continuing to do them, ain't I?" Dandy retorted as he readjusted the bags on his back.

“Just because your family is the most prestigious around doesn't mean you're bulletproof..” Vee retorted, holding on tighter to Astro's shoulders, “Anyways, we gotta get going. Cya.”

Astro silently nodded and waved at Dandy before Vee started dragging him down the hall.

Dandy rolled his eyes and continued on his way to his locker, pushing past and shoving students with his shoulder.

He rounded the corner and walked over to his locker, punching in his combination and beginning to unpack his bags. There were different items he sells, usually for higher prices, occasionally for cheaper.

Then, a thought popped into his head. His dog… Pebble..

Dandy sighed, trying to get the thought out of his mind. Pebble was just in his apartment, being lazy. He was fine…

He quickly pushed the thought away and put the last of his bags inside his locker before grabbing a couple books from the locker. He then closed the locker and began heading in the direction of 1st period.

What he didn't know was Pebble had just woken up inside his bag, he yawned and stretched, before biting a hole in the bag and wiggling out to find himself in the locker.

The tiny dog's paws hit the floor of the locker, he immediately began sniffing and looking around, trying to figure out where he was.

He then let out a quiet whine of confusion, slowly backing up until he hit the locker wall, trapped in a sense.

Pebble whimpered a bit louder, scratching the bottom of the locker door, trying to find a way out.

After a couple minutes of struggling, Pebble's little paw eventually pushed the locker door just the slightest bit open, creating an opening just big enough for him to squeeze out of.

Once his tiny head popped out first, he wriggled his body out and dropped out of the locker, stumbling to the ground with a quiet thud.

He stood there for a couple moments, continuing to sniff around, until he started to hear faint noises. The sound of people talking, and feet pattering on the floor. Pebble quickly turned around and ran off in the direction of the noise.

The little dog ran down the hallway, his paws making soft little sounds. He looked around, trying to pinpoint where the voices were coming from, but it was all coming from different directions, which was confusing him.

He continued running down the hallway until he spotted the legs of a person. He stopped in his tracks, sniffing and looking around, trying to figure out whose legs they were. Pebble then looked up and was met with the sight of a person standing above him.

The person looked down at him with slight confusion, "Hey, little guy.. Where'd you come from?”

The little dog just stared up at the person with wide eyes, his stubby tail wagging a bit. He then began to approach them, curiously sniffing their legs, still tilting his head.

The person was holding something.. Something that looked like.. A leash? Then, another dog walked from behind the person- towering over Pebble, with a slick practically black coat and tired eyes. The dog was huge, both in height and width.

Pebble trembled a bit from the presence of the other dog, but he stood his ground the best he could, his little legs slightly shaking.

The other dog closed its eyes and opened its mouth, and Pebble was on guard immediately. It then let out a loud sneeze which scared the tinier dog away.

Pebble immediately backed away as the dog sneezed, the sound was loud and startled him. He let out a loud whine, as he began to run down the hallway again, scared.

He ran down the hallway, until he finally realized he had no idea where he was.. Nothing looked familiar, it was like a whole new world. Pebble slowed to a stop, whining once more as he looked around once again, trying to find a familiar scent.

Instead of finding one, he smelt something.. Sweet.. Like.. Food!

He followed the scent to a door down the hall, the smell was strong and Pebble wanted whatever that smell was coming off of.

He ran towards the door, the scent of delicious food filling his nose. He put his paw onto the door, trying to push it open, but his tiny paws didn't allow him to get any leverage. He whined as he tried to shove the door open.

Inside, the cooking class was working.. Obviously. Cosmo was busy mixing the icing by hand, because the mixer was broken.. Again. A lot of equipment was broken. But, the school focused their funding on the other programs instead of getting new equipment.

Cosmo mixed the icing by hand, getting lost in the motion as he spaced out. He barely even paid attention to what he was doing, his hand automatically mixing the ingredients together.

A blonde haired girl wearing cat ears walked up to him with a bowl in her hand, “Uhh, Cosmo.. I think I messed up the dough-stuff.”

Cosmo looked over at her and then at the bowl, “Maybe ask Sprout for help.. He's better at this stuff."

The girl nodded, then walked back over to her area and asked Sprout for help.

Cosmo let out a sigh and continued to mix the icing, his thoughts now drifting to other places as he zoned out once again.

Until he heard noises at the door, and walked over to open it.. Only to see no one.

Pebble snuck his way into the classroom once the door was open and hid in an open cabinet.

Cosmo looked around, raising an eyebrow at the open cabinet. He just shrugged and closed the door, heading back to his bowl of icing to continue preparing it.

Once the door shut, pebble cautiously came out of the cabinet and sniffed around, the scent of food even stronger than earlier. He padded across the floor, the pitter-patter of his paws being covered up by the students talking and the sound of things being stirred.

He continued to look around before his nose was hit with a very strong scent, a scent of chocolate. His little head immediately whipped over to the source of the scent, spotting a bowl of chocolate batter sitting on the counter.

His ears perked up, he slowly made his way over to the bowl, his tiny legs shaking a bit. He stood on his back legs and looked up at the counter, staring at the bowl. He then let out a soft whine and tried to get on his front legs, too short to reach the bowl.

The girl with cat ears walked into the area, seeing the dog trying to get onto the counter and she froze.

She stared down at the tiny dog with wide eyes, her mouth opening a bit in surprise. The dog didn't seem to notice her presence, more focused on reaching the bowl of batter that was just barely out of reach.

The girl let out a loud squeak and yelled, “Oh my God! There's a dog in here!”

Her sudden yell startled the small dog, who fell off the stool and took the bowl with him.

The bowl went crashing to the ground, the batter landing everywhere, most of it on Pebble and a bit of it on the girl's shoes. The girl let out a loud gasp, her eyes fixated on the bowl on the ground and the tiny dog who was now covered in the chocolate batter.

Pebble whimpered as he was now covered head to paw in the chocolate batter, shaking his head a bit as he sat up. He then spotted the girl standing in front of him, her expression a mix of shock and terror.. He stared at her for a minute.

The rest of the class was now staring at the two, having been distracted by the girl’s yelling. The door slammed open and an older man, presumably the teacher yelled, "What? What's happening?”

The girl pointed down at Pebble, who was covered in the batter. The teacher's eyes widened as he took in the scene, "How the hell did a dog get in here?!”

Pebble took this as an opportunity to bolt out of the room, leaving a trail of chocolate paw prints.

Cosmo turned to his best friend with a shocked expression, “You don't think that was..?”

“That's definitely Pebble.” Sprout responded, crossing his arms.

“How do you know for sure?”

“Staring problem.”

“We should go after him.”

Sprout nodded in agreement, "Definitely." He then stood up and began to head towards the door as best he was able to.

Cosmo quickly set his bowl off to the side before standing up as well and following Sprout out of the classroom.

They looked up and down the hallway, noticing the trail of paw prints leading down the hallway. They followed the paw prints, trying to figure out where the tiny dog had run off to.

The trail of paw prints made it to a corner, and both boys skidded around it, only to not see Pebble.

“Where did he go?!” Sprout exclaimed frantically, looking around the hallways.

Cosmo tapped his shoulder and pointed at one of the lockers, “Look.”

There Pebble was, back in Dandy's locker, curled up into a ball, covered in chocolate.

Sprout raised an eyebrow as he walked over to the locker, peering inside, "How in the world did he climb in there?"

He then turned to look at Cosmo and shrugged.

Cosmo then approached the locker and called softly, "Pebble? Hey buddy.. What're you doing in there?”

Pebble lifted his head up slowly, his entire body and face covered in chocolate batter. He let out a tiny whimper, looking up at the two boys.

Sprout chuckled a bit, "Looks like a chocolate bar.."

Cosmo rolled his eyes and knelt down, "You really like making trouble for yourself, don't you?" He reached inside the locker and slowly pulled the tiny dog out, careful not to spook him.

Pebble stood on shaky legs, his entire body shivering from a mixture of fear and the cold. He shook himself once and ended up getting a bit of batter splattered onto the boys.

Cosmo let out a quiet sigh as he held Pebble closer to his chest, "What are we going to do with him now…”

“Clean him, and give him back to Dandy. Chocolate is bad for dogs, duh.” The green-eyed boy suggested.

"You're right, that sounds like a good idea..." Cosmo agreed, shifting Pebble in his arms.

Sprout then spoke up, "How are we going to clean him though? We could get in trouble if we go back to the cooking class.”

“Mr. Snap will understand.” The shorter boy replied, “Even though Pebbs is small, the kitchen sink is probably the only one big enough to wash him.”

"Okay then.. Let's head over there then." Cosmo responded, nodding his head and beginning to walk down the hallway, followed closely behind by Sprout.

When they made it to the cooking room, a couple of the students were cleaning up the mess left by Pebble's escape.

The teacher, Mr. Snap (Who also happens to be Ginger's dad), raised an eyebrow upon seeing the two of them, "And what can I help you guys with?”

Cosmo stepped forward, holding Pebble in his arms. Mr. Snap's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the tiny dog that was very much covered in chocolate batter.

"Uh... We need to use the kitchen sink so we can wash him.." Sprout mumbled out, avoiding eye contact with the teacher.

Mr. Snap sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "You boys are lucky that I like you. Just keep it quick, okay?"

Cosmo nodded, “We will.” He then walked over to the kitchen sink and turned it on, setting Pebble in the sink as gently as possible.

The water started spraying out of the faucet, hitting Pebble in the face. He let out a whimper and attempted to turn away, but got sprayed again.

Sprout chuckled a bit as he watched the little dog struggle. “He’s like a chocolate fountain.”

Cosmo rolled his eyes at Sprout’s comment, trying to hold back a laugh. “Yeah, he’s definitely living up to that right now.”

Pebble shook his head furiously, splashing water and batter everywhere. Some of it even hit the boys.

"Yeesh.. he really doesn't like water, does he?" Sprout said, wiping some of the batter off his cheek.

Cosmo nodded in agreement, “Guess not. But we gotta get all this stuff off of him.”

He continued to gently wash off the batter, using a sponge to help scrub the chocolate off of the small dog. Pebble whined and squirmed the entire time, trying to get away from the water.

"Would you stay still for a moment..." Cosmo grumbled, holding back a laugh as Pebble flailed around, almost managing to escape his grip.

Sprout stood nearby, watching the scene with amusement.

After a few minutes of struggling, they finally managed to get all of the batter off of him. Pebble was shaking like a leaf from the experience, his fur clinging to his small body due to the water.

Cosmo grabbed a towel and gently dried him off, wrapping him in the towel once he was dry enough.

The two boys bid farewell to Mr. Snap and left the room, Pebble wrapped in the towel and shaking slightly in Cosmo's arms.

“Where do you think Dandy is at this time?" Sprout asked, adjusting his backpack.

“It's the last 30 minutes of 1st period, he's probably in the abandoned bathroom,” Cosmo answered, “He always goes before 2nd period to check his stock.”

Sprout nodded, "Yeah, that's probably where he is. I don't get why he hangs out in such a disgusting place."

Cosmo shrugged, readjusting Pebble in his arms. "Who knows why he does some of the things he does.”

They continued down the hallway, heading towards the old abandoned bathroom. As they approached the bathroom, the smell of cigarette smoke and body spray wafted from the room.

Sprout made a gagging motion, "Ugh, it reeks in here.”

"It always reeks in here." Cosmo retorted, peeking into the room. Sure enough, there was Dandy, standing in front of a broken mirror and fixing his hair as he always did.

He was so focused on his appearance that he didn’t even notice the two boys entering the room.

Sprout cleared his throat and called out, "Hey, Dandy."

Dandy spun around, letting out a tiny high-pitched-definitely-manly-squeak.

"Jesus," he huffed out after recovering from the initial surprise, "ever heard of knocking?"

Cosmo raised an eyebrow and held up the towel-wrapped Pebble, "We found something of yours.”

Dandy’s eyes widened as he saw the towel-wrapped Pebble, "Oh my god, that's where he went!"

He approached the boys and took Pebble from Cosmo, "I was looking all over for the little guy. How the hell did you find him?”

“He somehow got into the cooking class,” Sprout explained, “and managed to get himself covered in chocolate batter.”

Dandy chuckled, “That little rascal..” He held Pebble closer and ruffled his head gently.

Cosmo couldn't help but smile at the sight of Dandy being so fond of the tiny dog, "He sure knows how to get himself into trouble."

Sprout nodded in agreement, "Definitely. But it was pretty funny to see him all covered in chocolate.”

“You two got it all over you.” Dandy retorted, holding his dog affectionately.

"Yeah, Pebble really didn't appreciate the whole washing thing..." Cosmo chuckled, looking down at the batter stains on his own clothes.

Sprout rolled his eyes, "Well, it was either get covered in batter or let him run the hallways and track even more of it around.”

Cosmo looked over to Sprout and wiped some of the batter off of his cheek, “There. Now I'm going back to class.”

Sprout rolled his eyes, "Thanks, that was very helpful."

Cosmo gave him a cheeky grin before waving goodbye, "See ya later, man. Don't get into too much trouble without me.”

Sprout waved back and watched as Cosmo walked out of the bathroom, leaving him alone with Dandy and Pebble. He let out a content sigh, with a smile on his face that he was unable to wipe off.

Dandy glanced over at Sprout, noticing his expression, "...You love him.”

Sprout blushed at the comment, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink, "What? No, I don't!"

Dandy smirked, "Oh please, it's so obvious. You have it bad.”

Sprout groaned and covered his face with his hands, "Shut up."

Dandy just chuckled, his smirk growing wider, "You can't deny it, dude. You're totally in love with him.”

Sprout let out a frustrated sigh and dropped his hands back to his sides, "Even if I did, my parents would freak out. They don't care about me liking guys, but they'd never let me date someone who isn't 'of our social status' as they'd say." He huffed.

Dandy's smirk faltered, replaced by a more sympathetic look, "Ah.. I forgot your parents are upper-class assholes. That sucks, man.”

Sprout nodded, "They're the worst... Always trying to control my life and stuff. And they'd never approve of me dating someone like Cosmo. He's not ‘good enough’ for me in their eyes.”

Dandy put a hand on Sprout's shoulder, "Don't let them get to you, man. You should be allowed to love whoever you want, no matter what your parents think."

Sprout sighed, "I know... It's just hard, you know? They're always breathing down my neck, trying to make me be someone I'm not.”

"I get it." Dandy squeezed his shoulder as Pebble looked at Sprout with wide eyes, tilting his head to the side. The dog then whined softly, sensing the tension in the room.

Sprout reached out and gently rubbed Pebble's head, "Thanks, Dandy. It's nice to have someone who understands."

Dandy nodded, "Of course, man. You know you can always talk to me, no matter what.”

Chapter Text

It was a breezy Saturday morning, meaning Cosmo got to sleep in without the interruptance of getting ready for tests or Dandy's insane shop prices.. He laid in bed, Munchkin at his feet, sleeping soundly. He was content to just sleep whenever he could, considering all the responsibilities he has..

The door to his room slammed open, and out popped a very excited Ginger, “Ooh, Cosmo, Cosmo get up!!”

He groaned and opened his eyes, “Ginger, it's the morning.. Why are you all dolled up?”

“Because the Fall Fair is in town!” She squealed, and started dragging Cosmo out of bed, “C'mon, we gotta go before the line forms at the drop tower!”

Cosmo groaned again as he was hauled out of his bed, still sleep addled and barely comprehending what was happening.

"The fair..? But.. It's so early.." He rubbed his eyes, trying to keep them open.

Ginger laughed, clearly not bothered at all by the hour as she pulled him out of his room. "Don't be such a sleepyhead! The fair is only here for the weekend and it's gonna be so much fun!”

He let out a stifled yawn, "I'm up, I'm up. Give me a minute to get ready."

Ginger let go of him and watched as he stumbled over to his closet, rummaging through his clothes for something presentable.

Munchkin jumped out of the bed and curled up at Ginger's feet, watching as the two humans prepared for the day ahead.

After several minutes of fumbling around and yawning, Cosmo finally got dressed and brushed his hair, now looking like a semi-functioning human being. Ginger impatiently tapped her foot on the ground, still brimming with excitement.

"Took you long enough," she teased, "ready to go now?”

He rolled his eyes playfully, "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready. Let's go before you explode from overexcitement."

He grabbed his wallet and keys, following Ginger out the door.

"You seriously get way too excited over these kinds of things," he teased.

Ginger stuck her tongue out at him, "Hey, who can blame me? The fair is a *lot* of fun! And besides, the drop tower is the *best* part of it all."

As they walked towards the fairgrounds, Ginger chatted about all the fun things they were going to do, completely oblivious to Cosmo's still-sleep-deprived state.

Despite the fact that it was early, there was already a decent sized line queued up for the drop tower.

Cosmo groaned and rubbed his eyes, "This is going to take forever..”

“Hey, Ginger! You made it!” A voice yelled out, the two turned around to see Bobette.. Wearing a Christmas sweater in September.

Bobette walked up to them, holding a cotton candy in her hand. "I know, right? The whole town must be here already."

She looked over at Cosmo and chuckled, "Morning, sleepyhead.”

He grumbled in response, "Yeah, yeah, mock me all you want."

Ginger perked up at the sight of the cotton candy, "Ooh, where'd you get that? I want some!”

Bobette chuckled and handed the cotton candy to her, "I got it from the vendor next to Sprout's parent's booth. They've got pretty good food this year!”

Ginger eagerly took the cotton candy and started munching on it happily, "Thanks!"

Cosmo raised an eyebrow, "Why are Sprout's parents here anyway? Don't they usually hate events like this?”

Bobette shrugged, "Something about promoting their store, I think? Or maybe they just feel like mocking the lower class, typical.”

"Yeah, sounds about right.." He rolled his eyes, not surprised by the mention of Sprout's parents.

Ginger chimed in, "Well, at least it means Sprout is here too, right?"

Bobette nodded, "Yep, saw him with Dandy earlier.”

"Yeah, sounds about right.." He rolled his eyes, not surprised by the mention of Sprout's parents.

Ginger chimed in, "Well, at least it means Sprout is here too, right?"

Bobette nodded, "Yep, saw him around the pier.”

Hearing that Sprout was, indeed, here made Cosmo's mood brighten, even just slightly. Though he wasn't entirely awake, he certainly didn't mind seeing him.

"I should go find him," he said, trying to sound nonchalant, "I'm sure he'd be happy to see me.”

Bobette smirked, clearly picking up on the subtle hint in his words. "Oh yeah? You sure you don't just want an excuse to ditch us and have some private time?"

Ginger stifled a laugh while Cosmo bristled at the comment.

He coughed to cover up his embarrassment and tried to sound convincing, "What? No, no, of course not.. Just want to say hi to a friend, that's all."

Bobette and Ginger exchanged a knowing look but wisely held back their comments.

Bobette snickered and patted his back, "Sure. Go say hi to your 'friend'. We'll be fine here."

Cosmo grumbled and started walking away, trying to shake off the teasing he just endured.

He weaved through the crowds, trying to make his way to the pier while keeping an eye out for a familiar face. As he reached the pier, sure enough, there was Sprout.. Standing next to his parents’ booth and looking thoroughly miserable.

Sprout's parents were at the booth, dressed in their usual upscale attire and putting on their 'perfect family' act for the customers. Sprout himself was standing off to the side, looking incredibly uncomfortable and bored out of his mind.

Cosmo made his way over to him, trying to be subtle so that Sprout's parents wouldn't see him.

"Hey," he said quietly once he was close enough, "you look like you're having the time of your life right now.”

Sprout looked up and brightened instantly upon seeing him, "Cosmo! Oh thank god, I was dying of boredom over here."

He leaned against the booth, trying to keep himself hidden from his parents' view.

Cosmo stifled a laugh and leaned against the booth next to him, "I bet. Is it really bad?"

Sprout nodded, "You have no idea.. My parents have been dragging me around, showing me off, and having me try to convince people to buy their crap ever since we got here. I'm about ready to blow.”

Cosmo raised an eyebrow, "Wait, they're actually having you try to sell stuff? No way.."

“Yeah, they said it'd 'build character' or whatever. It's so embarrassing..” Sprout huffed and shrugged, “I don't wanna run the stupid family business. They sell overpriced junk and subpar pastries.”

"I don't think you're missing much by not working for them," Cosmo chuckled, "They're like the epitome of upper class snobs"

Sprout let out a sigh and nodded solemnly, "Ugh, tell me about it..."

They stood in silence for a moment, watching the people pass by.

As they stood there, Cosmo couldn't help but notice how Sprout's parents kept glancing over at them, eyes narrowing in disapproval.. He could practically feel them glaring at him, judging him for simply talking to their son.

"Your parents are looking over here.." he commented softly as he tried to keep an eye on them out of the corner of his eye.

Sprout winced and quickly looked away from them, "I know... They're probably wondering what we're talking about. I'm sure they'd just love to know that I'm complaining about them to one of the 'common folk' like you.”

Cosmo chuckled, "I'm sure they'd be horrified. The oh-so prestigious Sprout being seen conversing with a lowly serf like me? Shocking.”

Sprout smiled weakly, "Shocking indeed. My father would be appalled and my mother would probably faint right on the spot."

They both went silent again for a moment, still keeping an eye on his parents to make sure they didn't come over.

"Wanna get out of here and do something actually entertaining?" Sprout asked.

Cosmo didn't need any convincing, "Yes, please. Anything to get away from this."

They started heading away from the pier, ducking behind people whenever Sprout's parents looked their way.

Once they were far enough away, they ducked behind a nearby stand selling stuffed animals. They both let out a sigh of relief and tried to keep themselves out of sight.

"Thanks for saving me.." Sprout said once they were safely hidden, "I don't think I could've handled standing there another second.”

"No problem," Cosmo replied, "I could see how miserable you looked, it was painful just looking at you. You really need to get away from your parents more..."

Sprout shrugged, "I know, but it's not easy.. They're always watching me, it's like they can't stand the idea of me being independent for even a second.”

"They sure seem like the overprotective snobbish type," Cosmo said, leaning back against the stand.

Sprout rolled his eyes, "You have no idea... They insist on knowing every little detail of my life, and heaven forbid I have a friend who isn't from a wealthy family.”

"That must be exhausting.." Cosmo sympathized.

Sprout nodded, "It is... It's like they have this whole idea of who I'm supposed to be, and heaven forbid I stray even a little bit from that idea. They want me to take over their family business and marry some rich guy they pick out for me.”

“The hell are you two doing?” A familiar voice spoke, they looked up to see Vee and Shelly.

Shelly was standing there, drinking something that looked like pure Red 40. While Vee had her hands on her hips.

Sprout and Cosmo looked up, startled by the unexpected intrusion.

"Oh, hey guys," Sprout said, trying to act nonchalant, "We were just.. Hanging out.."

Vee raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, "Behind this random stand? Seems a little suspicious to me.”

Cosmo chuckled sheepishly, "Well, we, uh, we were avoiding someone."

Vee looked over at Sprout, "Let me guess, your parents?"

Sprout nodded, "Yeah, they're at that booth over there.. They've been trying to shove me in front of every single customer and have me trying to sell stuff.”

Vee shook her head, "Jeez, they sound like a real joy to be around."

Shelly took another sip from her drink, "Sounds like they like to control their kid too much."

Cosmo couldn't help but agree, "They're like the definition of helicopter parents.”

“Is it just the artificial food dyes, or do you seem.. Snarky today?” Shelly asked, looking at Cosmo.

“Yeah, you're usually pretty sweet.” Vee added.

Cosmo felt a bit caught off guard by their comment. He hadn't realized he was coming across as snarky, he was just still pretty tired and annoyed.

"Uh, I guess I'm just in a bit of a mood today.." he replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"We did wake up pretty early..." Sprout chimed in, trying to help out his friend.

Vee looked sceptical, "Sure... It's just that you don't usually talk like this."

Shelly chimed in, "Yeah, it's a bit out of the norm for you... Is something bothering you?”

Cosmo huffed, he didn't like all the attention being on him for his mood.

"It's nothing," he lied, "I'm just tired, that's all. No biggie.”

“Are you planning to get off the ground anytime soon?” Vee asked in her usual monotone voice.

Cosmo had almost forgotten that they were hiding behind this stand and that they were currently on the ground. He and Sprout shared a sheepish look and quickly got up.

"Uh, yeah, right…" he said, dusting off his pants.

“Now, c'mon! Let's do fair-stuff!” Shelly exclaimed, nearly spilling her… Drink? Concoction? …Nobody cares, it's basically just a cup of ice and Red 40.

"Fair-stuff...? What do you have in mind?" Cosmo asked, his mood seemingly improving a bit at the prospect of some fun.

"Let’s hit up the games and rides, obviously!” Shelly answered, grinning.

Vee nodded, "Yeah, we've got a lot to do, and I need to ride that ferris wheel.”

Sprout smiled, "Sounds good to me. Anything sounds like a good time compared to being stuck with my parents."

Cosmo chuckled, "I'm in. Let's go have some fun.”

With that decided, the four of them left their hiding spot and started walking around the fairgrounds again. They made their way to the game stalls, where various games were set up. The classic games that usually appear at carnivals were here: ring toss, milk bottles, balloon darts, etc.

Shelly's eyes practically glowed with excitement as she looked at the different games. She turned her gaze to the ring toss and gasped, "Vee, look!" She squealed.

"What are you- oh." The other girl replied, she knew Shelly was excited because there was a dinosaur plushie at the stand.

"I gotta win the dinosaur!" Shelly exclaimed, quickly running over to the game stall.

Vee rolled her eyes, "Of course she does..." She muttered under her breath as she followed her friend.

Sprout snickered, "She's really fixated on that dino, isn't she?"

Cosmo chuckled in agreement, "Yeah, she probably won't stop talking about it until she's got it in her hands.”

They got closer to the ring toss game, where Shelly was already trying her best to throw the rings over the bottles.. and failing miserably, somehow managing to miss every single time.

"Come on, why can't I get it in?!" Shelly cried out, her third ring bounced off the bottle and rolled away.

Vee sighed, "Y'know these things are rigged?”

"It doesn’t hurt to try!” Shelly protested before attempting to throw another ring.. only for it to end up flying in the opposite direction.

"You really can’t aim, can you..?" Vee said, raising an eyebrow.

Shelly huffed, "Hey, I'm trying! You try throwing this stupid ring and see if you can make it in.”

Vee chuckled, "Alright, alright." She walked behind Shelly and grabbed her wrist, "The trick is you gotta use it like a frisbee.”

Sprout and Cosmo watched from the side, slightly amused by the display.

Shelly let Vee guide her hand, "A frisbee, huh? Let's see if this works..”

Vee gently angled Shelly's hand, showing her how to make the ring spin in the air properly. After a few attempts, Shelly finally managed to throw the ring towards the bottles.. And actually made it onto one.

"Yes!" Shelly cheered, "I did it!"

Vee chuckled, "See? Just gotta know the right technique."

Shelly's eyes sparkled with excitement as the carnie handed her the dinosaur plushie, "It's a brachiosaurus!”

"Yeah, yeah. Good for you." Vee said, slightly amused at Shelly's excitement.

Cosmo chuckled at the sight, he found it quite endearing seeing Shelly so happy over a stuffed animal.. But he couldn't help but notice the slight blush on her face.

"Looks like Shelly has a new friend." Sprout commented, trying to hide his laugh.

Cosmo looked over at Shelly, then at Vee, and back at Shelly again. It seemed almost as if Shelly was blushing? It was subtle, but he definitely noticed her cheeks were a bit more pink than normal..

"Yeah, I have a feeling she’s not gonna let go of that toy ever..” Sprout chuckled.

Cosmo couldn’t take his eyes off Shelly. She was holding the dinosaur tightly as she followed Vee to another game. Was it just his imagination, or was there really a hint of redness on her cheeks?

As they walked over to the next stand, Shelly was still gushing about her new stuffie. Vee was trying, and failing, to act uninterested, but even she couldn’t keep herself from smiling a bit.

"I'm gonna name it... Brachy!" Shelly said, holding the dino plush close.

"Brachy? Seriously? That's the name you're going with?" Vee shook her head with a chuckle.

Their conversation faded into the background, as Cosmo and Sprout trailed behind. Suddenly, Cosmo winced a little.

Sprout looked over at Cosmo, concern etched onto his face, "You okay?"

Cosmo nodded, not wanting to worry him, "Yeah.. Just got a bit of a stomach ache, that's all.”

Sprout gave him a skeptical look, "You sure? You've been acting weird since this morning... Is something going on?”

Cosmo chuckled nervously, "Nah, I'm fine.. Really."

But in all honesty, he wasn't. He'd been feeling increasingly unwell in the past few hours. His head was pounding, he felt nauseous, and his stomach was in knots.

Sprout, however, wasn't entirely convinced. He could tell something was up, but he didn't want to push it. "If you say so..." He said, still eyeing his friend with a worried gaze.

They wandered around the fair for hours, playing games and riding rides.. As the sun began to set, the 2 boys split away from the girls and walked down the pier, talking about everything.

As they walked, the sky slowly turned to hues of orange and pink. The music and chatter from the fairground grew softer as they walked further away.

Cosmo, despite still feeling unwell, tried to push the feeling away and focused on the conversation with Sprout.

"Hey, can I be real with you for a second?" Sprout said, glancing over at Cosmo.

Cosmo looked over, "Yeah, of course. What's up?”

Sprout sighed and continued walking, "It's just.. Lately, I've been feeling kind of suffocated by my parents. They're always trying to control my life and tell me what to do, and it's just getting too much. I feel like I'm losing myself, y'know?”

Cosmo nodded, understanding Sprout's predicament, "Yeah, I get it... They really do seem to be a bit too controlling. I mean, it's your life, you should get to decide what you want to do with it.”

A comfortable silence overcame them as they watched the waves crash against the pier… Cosmo started to feel even weirder than he had all day, he looked down and nearly gasped..

Sprout sighed and turned to him, “Cos, I–”

“I'm sososososo sorry, I gotta go!” Cosmo replied, “Bye!” He quickly said, before running off.

Sprout stood there, slightly caught off guard by the sudden departure. He watched as Cosmo ran off, the image of him disappearing into the crowd..

Sprout was going to say something, but before he could call out to his friend, he was already gone.. He stood there in silence for a moment, contemplating what had just happened..

Cosmo ran to the nearest bathroom and hid in one of the stalls as he dialed Ginger's phone number.

Ginger answered the phone on the second ring, her cheerful voice coming through the speaker.

"Cosmo? What's up?" She greeted.

"Ginger," Cosmo tried his best to keep his voice steady, "I really need your help..”

Ginger noticed that something was amiss in his voice, her cheerful tone switching to concern.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" She asked.

Cosmo hesitated for a moment, the words catching in his throat. "..Do you have a thingy?”

"Thingy? What thing–" Ginger went quiet as she realized what Cosmo meant, "Oh, that thing. Yeah, I've got some on me. Why?”

"I.. I really need it right now." Cosmo replied, his voice almost sounded desperate.

Ginger immediately understood his urgency, "Okay, I got you. Where are you right now?”

"Please hurry.." Cosmo's voice was barely above a whisper, "I'm in the bathroom by the ferris wheel..”

"Gotcha." Ginger confirmed, "Sit tight. I'll be there soon."

And with that, she hung up, immediately rushing to the spot he mentioned.

Cosmo waited in the bathroom stall, feeling his discomfort grow worse by the minute. Every second felt like an eternity as he fidgeted with his fingers, waiting for Ginger to arrive.

It felt like hours had passed, even though it was only a few minutes, until he heard a soft knock on the stall door.

"Cos?" Ginger's voice called out.

Cosmo felt a sense of relief wash over him, "I'm in here.. Slide it under the door.”

There was the sound of shuffling, and after a few moments, Ginger pushed a couple of pads under the stall door.

"Thanks, Ging…"

Ginger could hear the strain in his voice, and she couldn't help but feel worried.

"I thought you stopped getting periods after you started taking HRT?”

"I thought so, too.." He replied, sounding exhausted. "But it comes back every once in a while.. Randomly..”

Ginger frowned, she felt bad that he was going through this. "It's okay. Just make sure to clean yourself up and put on the pads, okay?”

"I will.." There was a pause before he spoke up again, "...Can you stay here? I don't.. I don't want to be alone..”

"Of course I'll stay." Ginger reassured him, "I'm right here, just talk to me.”

Chapter Text

Cosmo grabbed a recipe book and flipped to one of the pages, “Okay, this is relatively easy.” He thought before going over to the cabinet and pulling out the mixer.

He put the mixer on the counter, and started pouring in the ingredients. Once he was done, he turned on the mixer and heard it start up. The ingredients began to turn fluffy and light, everything was going–

Splurt

“That sounds bad.” He sighed, turning off the mixer, “Mr. Snap, the mixers broken.”

The teacher walked over to inspect the cooking tool, “Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

The teacher began to fiddle with the mixer, until the top of it popped off, “Yep.”

He turned around and pinched the bridge of his nose, “That was our last mixer, and I can't afford to buy another one…”

The cooking program was severely underfunded, most purchases were donations or bought by the teacher.

“This program is falling apart.” Mr. Snap said sadly, “At this rate, we won't have enough supplies to keep it running for another semester..”

Cosmo frowned, feeling sympathetic for the situation. He glanced around the cooking room, noticing the worn-out utensils and outdated equipment. "Is there really nothing we can do to save the program?”

Mr. Snap let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "I've tried everything.. But donations have been really low, and the school board doesn't prioritize this program. They think it's too frivolous to focus on, not valuable enough to support.”

Cosmo bit his lip, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. He knew how important the cooking program was to many students, including himself. It provided a creative outlet and practical life skills. He couldn't just let it fade away.

Just then, the bell rang.

"Looks like class is over." Mr. Snap said, defeated, "Let me deal with this. You should get to your next class."

Cosmo frowned, feeling a pang of helplessness. He didn't want to just leave the program's fate hanging like this..

Reluctantly, he gathered his things and left the cooking room, the sound of the broken mixer's pieces hitting the metal bottom of the trash can lingering in his head.

“We can't just let it fall.” Ginger protested, “The program is practically my Dad's whole life.”

The two cousins were now walking home from school, the both of them nervous about the possibility of the cooking program shutting down.

"I know.." Cosmo let out a sigh, "I'm just as upset about it, but I don't know what we can do. The school board is so stubborn.. they don't seem to care at all about the program.”

"We have to try, though." Ginger retorted, "This is my Dad's livelihood, if the program shuts down, the school is going to cut his job. We can't let that happen.”

Cosmo frowned, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "I know.. But what can we do? We're just kids, we can't exactly force the school board to change their minds..”

Ginger bit her lip, contemplating. After a moment of silence, she let out a sigh and looked down, "How about we ask some other students who take the class if they have any ideas? Maybe we can brainstorm something together..”

"Yeah, that could work." He nodded in agreement, "But, can we talk about this after we get home so I can shower?”

She scoffed, "You do need a shower, the smell is getting to me." Ginger teased.

“I didn't choose gym, it's a requirement.” He rolled his eyes before opening the door to see no one in the bakery except for Munchkin rubbing against Ginger's legs as a greeting.

They walked further inside, Ginger bent over to give Munchkin a quick scratch behind the ear.

"No one here in the bakery?" Cosmo questioned, noticing the eerie silence in the building.

Ginger stood back up, patting off the cat hair stuck to her. "Yeah, my Mom's probably upstairs in his office.. You can go shower, I'm gonna go talk to her.”

"Alright, I'll be quick." Cosmo said before going up the stairs, vanishing up the stairs and shutting the bathroom door behind him.

Ginger let out a breath, feeling the anxiety from earlier slowly creep back up again. She decided to head to the back office, where her mother would be working.

She knocked softly on the door, hearing her mother's voice from the other side, "Come in."

Ginger opened the door and walked inside, seeing her mother, Ms. Snap, sitting at her desk, diligently working on some paperwork.

"Hey Mom," Ginger greeted, shutting the door behind her and approaching her mother's desk.

Ms. Snap looked up from her desk and smiled warmly at her daughter. "Hi sweetheart, is everything okay?”

Ginger took a seat across from her mother's desk, nervously tapping her fingers against the wood. "Actually, there's something important we need to talk about.”

Ms. Snap set her pen down and gave her daughter her full attention, sensing the seriousness in her tone. "What's going on?”

Ginger explained the situation about the school board cutting the cooking program, including the broken mixer and Mr. Snap's possible job loss. As Ms. Snap listened, her expression changed from mild concern to serious worry.

"That's... quite concerning." Ms. Snap responded, tapping her pen against her desk, "I knew the cooking program was underfunded, but I had no idea things were that dire..”

Ginger nodded solemnly. "It's really bad, Mom. If the program shuts down, what's gonna happen to Dad? He loves teaching cooking class..”

"I know, sweetheart, I know." Ms. Snap sighed, leaning back in her chair, "He's dedicated so much time and energy into that program, and it's heartbreaking to think it could all just end like this.”

"That's why we can't just let it happen." Ginger said determinedly, "We have to do something, anything, to save the program and Dad's job.”

“Vee, can we trade?” Shelly asked, it was the next day during lunch.

“No, fuck you.” Vee replied.

“Maybe if they sold better stuff at lunch, we wouldn't have to bring our lunches every day.” Astro added, picking at his salad.

Cosmo was only half listening as his friends talked about school cafeteria food. He was mostly thinking about the possible ways he could save Mr. Snap's cooking program.

"Maybe if they sold better stuff at lunch,"

“Holy shit, I got it!” Cosmo exclaimed.

Everyone at the table immediately looked at him, the sudden outburst taking them all by surprise.

"You got what?" Shelly asked, genuinely curious.

Before anyone could fully comprehend what just happened, he pulled Sprout aside to explain his plan.

"Okay, listen." he said, "I have a plan and I need your help."

Sprout nodded, "Okay, what is it?”

"It's clear the students are dying for something else to eat at lunch." he started.

"Yeah, I mean, the cafeteria food is basically the same stuff every week-day." Sprout said, nodding in agreement, "So what's it got to do with saving the cooking class?”

"Simple," he paused for extra emphasis, "I've got an idea that will get the school's attention. I'm thinking we sent up a stand during lunch.”

"Okay..." Sprout said, sounding confused, "What do you mean 'stand'? Like a lemonade stand or something?”

"No, I mean our own food stand. We sell the food ourselves, and all the money from each item will be split between the cooking program and a new mixer.”

"You know, that's actually a pretty good idea," Sprout responded, starting to see the potential, "But how do we make the stuff when all the equipment is broken?”

"I've already thought of that," said a voice from behind them. They turned to see Ginger approaching them..

"Luckily, there happens to be a Bakery less than a block away. That way you don't need to use the school's crappy equipment. And I'm sure Mom and Debbie would let us." She said.

"That actually makes a lot of sense." Sprout said, nodding approvingly. "So what kind of food should we sell?”

"I was thinking, we could make quick, simple stuff." replied Cosmo, "Like sandwiches, wraps, and cookies. Stuff that's easy to make and easy to sell.”

"Wouldn't we get in trouble with the cafeteria workers and the principal?" Sprout asked, "I mean, they're gonna be on thin ice when we start selling our food at lunch.”

“Just bribe Dandy.” Vee added.

“This conversation is cooking students only.” Sprout retorted.

“Not happening.” She stood up and walked over to them, “If you're breaking the rules, I want in.”

"Why do you wanna join us all of a sudden?" Sprout asked skeptically.

“You'll need my help.” She stated, “My parents are in the television business, I was practically born a scam artist.”

"We don't need to scam anyone." Cosmo protested.

Vee rolled her eyes, “I’m not saying we scam people, I’m saying I have the skills to make our little ‘bakery stand’ a success.”

"So you're basically saying you have the skills to talk people into buying our food." Sprout said.

"Exactly." Vee answered with pride.

"Wouldn't hurt to have a bit of backup just in case." Ginger agreed.

Sprout looked uneasy about the idea, but he didn't argue. "Fine... but no scamming people or anything like that.”

"Oh please, who do you think I am? My parents are con artists, I know how to work around people's weaknesses without scamming," Vee responded, rolling her eyes once more, "Besides, think about this. I'll be the sales pitch, they get hooked on my words and buy everything. You're the actual food maker, it's a win-win.”

"She does have a point," Ginger chimed in, "Vee's good with words, she could convince Gordon Ramsey to eat something if she wanted to.”

"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree. She has a way with words. And to be honest, we need all the help we can get." Sprout added.

“We should get the other cooking students involved.” Cosmo advised, “There aren't many, but they want this as much as we do.”

"Yeah, good point." said Sprout, "And they could be helpful when it comes to actually making the food.”

"So, we have a plan?" asked Ginger.

"Looks like it." Sprout responded, "Let's all meet up after school to get started on the stand, and we can talk to the other cooking class students.”

"Alright, see you all after school." said Ginger. The group began to disperse, returning to their respective seats from before, as the bell rang and school resumed for the rest of the day.

The school day came to an end quickly, the four of them, along with the 3 other cooking students, met up at the gates after the last bell rang.

"Alright, we're all here so let's start planning." said Sprout, taking charge.

The group huddled together, formulating their plan. The 5 other students listened intently to every word Sprout and Vee said, nodding in agreement every now and then. After a few minutes of back and forth discussion, they came up with a solid game plan.

"So let's just go over the plan one more time." said Sprout, getting everyone's attention, "We'll set up a stand during lunch. Vee will be the pitchman, we'll use her skills to get customers hooked, and the rest of us will be in charge of making the food. Ginger, your Mom is going to let us use the bakery, right?”

“Yep, no problem.” Ginger affirmed, “My Mom and Debbie agreed to let us use the bakery, she even gave us some extra cookie dough we can use.”

“That's good,” said Sprout, “Now it's time to decide what food we're gonna sell.”

"We should keep it simple." Cosmo suggested, "Sandwiches, wraps, and cookies are easy to make, so they should be pretty easy to sell.”

"And we can make them in bulk." Ginger added, "It'll be a lot less stressful if we do things that way.”

"You're right." said Sprout, "Alright, then it's settled. Sandwiches, wraps, and cookies for the menu.”

The group exchanged nods of agreement, happy with the decision. Sprout looked over the group, "Alright then. We have our plan. Tomorrow at lunch, we start selling. Let's hope this will raise enough money to save the cooking program.”

The group nodded, all eager and determined.. They then said their farewells and split off, preparing for tomorrow's big task…

The next day, school was the usual bustle of students and staff going to and from their day. Just as the lunch bell rang, the small assembly of students made their way down the winding corridors with the lunch period's noise growing louder with each step they took.

Finally, they reached the main hallway, where the cafeteria was located, and quickly ducked away. They found a spot close to the side wall, perfect for their stand. Sprout and Ginger set up the table, while Vee and the other kids set up the stand with food prices and stuff. Cosmo took charge of the food, the smell drawing several groups of students to their stand. Soon, the stand was fully set up, and it was show time.

Vee stood in front of the stand, ready for action. Everyone else hung back, watching nervously as Vee plastered on a charming, disarming smile.

The first few students were hesitant, but Vee quickly won them over. They left the stand with smiles and full hands. As the lunch period went on, Vee proved her skills. Every customer left with satisfaction, a good number of them even bought more than just one item.

All of the students working at the stand were filled with relief. They were getting customers, and it looked like they were actually pulling this off. They worked diligently in the background, making food as quickly as they could to keep up with the demand.

However, just when the plan was going off without a hitch, someone walked up to the stand.. a member of the school board.. They looked at the stand with a disapproving look.

"What is going on here?" the school board member questioned, her sharp gaze drifting across the stand as she took in every detail.

The school board member raised an eyebrow skeptically, "You do realize that you need permission to operate a business on school grounds, right?”

"Of course, we do." Vee responded, her face remaining calm. "We checked, and we have permission." The other students tried not to react.

The board member, clearly not convinced, raised an eyebrow. "Really? Where's the written slip?”

Vee stayed silent for a moment, her mind racing to come up with a quick response..

“It's right here, Ma'am.” A voice spoke from behind the woman, walking up to hand her a piece of paper.

She skimmed it over, “You're fine… This time.”

Everyone felt a collective sigh of relief as the woman walked away. They all turned to look at the person that saved them, only to see Dandy standing there with a cocky grin on his face, “You guys need to learn how to run a business under the staff's noses before you actually do it.”

"How did you even get in possession of the principal’s signature?" Sprout asked, utterly baffled.

"She's my mom, and I've been running the bathroom shop without her knowing for 3 years at this point." Dandy shrugged nonchalantly.

"You run a business in the bathroom?!" Ginger exclaimed, sounding thoroughly surprised.

“You didn't know?!” Cosmo replied, sounding even more shocked at that.

"Well, how am I supposed to know something like that?!" Ginger retorted, not believing what she was hearing.

“Literally every other student knows about it, Ginger.” Sprout added.

"This is insane." Ginger said, still shocked. "How can he operate a whole business in the bathroom and no one notices?!”

"It's all a matter of keeping it under wraps, that's why it's in the abandoned bathroom with no cameras." Dandy responded, as if it was the most common thing in the world.

“To be clear, I'm against it.” Vee shrugged.

“Why are you working with us, then when we're practically doing the same thing?” Sprout asked.

“Oh, I'm not against doing shit behind the authorities' backs, I just hate Dandy.”

“Oh, come on.” Dandy said, faking hurt “I’m an absolute delight.”

Vee rolled her eyes, unamused, “We all know I'm a better salesman than you.”

“Are you really going there now–” Dandy began, before being cut off.

”Yes, I am.” Vee interrupted, “Because I'm better than you, admit it.”

"You wish, I'm way better than y–"

"You two.." Sprout interjected, "Stop right now. I don't want to hear this stupid argument right now.”

"Yeah, we're actually trying to do something here." Ginger said, giving them a pointed look.

Vee and Dandy turned to glare at each other, obviously not wanting to drop the argument..

They held each other's gaze for a few tense moments, but eventually, both of them looked away.

"Fine." Vee conceded, "but next time, I'm winning this argument.”

"As if." Dandy sneered.

"Shut it." Sprout said, not in the mood for their banter. "We have work to do.”

After lunch, the group made a tally of the money earned.

"That's.." Sprout started, then let out a long whistle. "Damn, we made a lot.”

"I was skeptical, but it actually paid off.." Cosmo said, looking over the money with a look of disbelief.

"Of course it did, I was the one running the pitch." Vee bragged.

“It is a lot.. But still not enough to save the cooking program,” Ginger sighed, “We need enough to buy new equipment and also enough to keep the program stable.”

“Well, we’ve only been in business for one day, and we’ve already earned a good chunk,” said Sprout, “We just need to do this a few more times, and we’ll be golden.”

The others nodded in agreement, feeling optimistic. Even Vee seemed to be on board with the plan.

"It's a good thing I'm such a good salesman." She said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get too cocky, now." Snorted Dandy.

Vee shot him a glare, "You're just jealous that my selling skills outpace yours in every way.”

"Bet." Said Dandy, grinning. "I get to be the salesman for the stand tomorrow.”

"You're on." Vee agreed, crossing her arms. "Prepare to lose.”

"In your dreams." Dandy said, "By tomorrow, I'll have twice the customers you do, I guarantee it.”

"You wish." Vee scoffed, "I have this thing called charm, which I'm pretty sure you're physically incapable of possessing.”

"And I have years of experience. You got what, 1 day of selling? Amateur." Dandy shot back.

Vee smirked. "I have a feeling my 1 day of selling beats all your experience."

"That's cute." Said Dandy, rolling his eyes. "This is gonna be fun, seeing you lose.”

"Oh, I’m sure it’s going to be hilarious watching you fail horribly." Vee quipped, "Because I'm not going to lose.”

The next day, everyone was ready to put their plan into motion again. The stand was set up, the food ready to be sold, but with one significant difference: Dandy stood in front of the stand instead of Vee.

Students began to walk over to the stand after the bell rang, ready to buy their lunch.. But they stopped in their tracks as they saw Dandy standing front and center, which was quite out of character for him.

He noticed how stunned they were. "Something wrong, folks? You’ve never seen a handsome guy selling food before?" He said innocently, still smiling.

The students were taken aback, the majority of them not used to seeing him outside of the bathroom during lunch.

"Come on, what are you waiting for? Come get your food!" Dandy called out, waving them over, "Guaranteed fresh! Made by our amazing chefs!”

Sprout crossed his arms and shrugged, “Don't worry, It's nothing like Dandy's usual prices.”

The students soon hesitantly approached the stand, and Dandy's sales tactics started to come into play. He started talking to the students, convincing them to buy stuff from the stand..

Within minutes, students were gathering around the stand, forming a line to buy the food. Dandy was having a great time with being in charge, the money piling up rapidly.

After lunch, they all sat there counting up the money.

“249.. 250,” Ginger said, “Okay, Dandy got 250, what about Vee?”

“Also 250, it's a tie.” Cosmo replied.

“We raised 500 dollars?” Sprout asked.

"That's insane!" Ginger exclaimed, taking a moment to let it sink in.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would work this well." Sprout agreed, counting the money in disbelief.

Suddenly, Dandy began to speak up. "I thought I'd win. I thought I'd sell more."

Vee rolled her eyes, "Please. I got the exact same amount of money. You didn't beat me.”

"Well, I got more people to come to the stand, so I did better."

"Who cares how many people come to the stand? What matters is how much money was made, and that was a tie." Vee retorted, crossing her arms.

"That's a cheap argument. Obviously quantity over quality is better.”

"Oh please, you think you're some hot shot now because you actually did something other than hang out in the bathroom?" Vee rolled her eyes.

"And what's so wrong about hanging out in the bathroom? It's a great place to do what I do."

"Yeah, it's a great place to scam others like a weirdo," Vee responded sarcastically.

Dandy huffed. "My business is no scam. I'm simply providing customers with what they want."

"For an inflated price," Vee added, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with profit. I have a right to make a little extra."

"A little extra? You overcharge for everything, especially the more popular stuff." Vee retorted.

“Can you two shut the fuck up so we can go give this to the teacher?” Sprout cut in.

Both Dandy and Vee stopped their petty argument and glanced at Sprout.

"Yeah, yeah. We're done." Vee said, rolling her eyes.

"Sure." Dandy agreed, looking annoyed.

Sprout rolled his eyes as he collected the money, Ginger and Cosmo were already waiting for him. They left the table, leaving Vee and Dandy still glaring at each other.

"This isn't over," Dandy muttered.

Vee scoffed, "Of course it isn't. I'll kick your ass next time.”

The other three were making their way through the hallways.

"I can't believe they were tied.." Cosmo said, still stunned by how much money the stand had made.

"I'm more surprised at how good Dandy was.. He didn't pull any of his usual tricks. He just-"

"Sold." Ginger said, "He just sold. And he was surprisingly good at it..”

"There's still a small chance it could fail." said Ginger, "We still don't know how much the cooking program would cost."

Sprout nodded, "That's true. But if we keep selling like this, we should only need to do it a few more times.”

They rounded the final corner and arrived at the classroom door, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. Ginger, being the unofficial ringleader of the whole operation, knocked on the classroom door.

A second later, the door was opened, revealing Mr. Snap.

He raised an eyebrow, "You all look like you're up to something.”

Sprout smirked, "You have no idea.. Mr. Snap, we have something to show you.”

"Oh?" Mr. Snap responded, intrigued. He stepped aside for them to come inside the class.

They all walked inside, taking seats near the front of the room as Mr. Snap closed the door and sat behind his desk.

"Now, what is it?" He said, looking expectantly at them.

Sprout took the lead, placing a money box on Mr. Snap's desk.

"This is all the money we've managed to raise." He explained, opening the case.

Mr. Snap peered into the box, and his eyes widened as he saw the amount of money inside.

"How... How did you all manage this?" He questioned, looking at them in disbelief.

"We started a little stand during lunch break, selling food and sweets." Ginger explained, a slight smirk visible on her face.

Mr. Snap sat back, clearly impressed. "I must say, this is quite impressive. I knew you were all passionate about saving the cooking program, but this..." He trailed off.

"Well, we still have a bit of a way to go. We don't know how much we'll need for the program," Sprout said, getting Mr. Snap's attention, "But we're planning on running the stand for a couple more days, so we're hoping to raise even more.”

Mr. Snap nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "I see. Well, I applaud your dedication. The program does need a heavy increase in funding, and what you've already raised is a great start.”

“I couldn't just stand back and watch my Dad lose his job..” Ginger added.

Mr. Snap smiled softly. "I understand. You're a good kid, Ginger." He said, then turned his gaze to the other two. "You all are.”

Chapter Text

There are 2 sides of Gardenview, the wealthy side, or as the residents refer to it- “The Entitled Spot.” And the other side, with the lower income families. Not all of the wealthy people look down upon the other side, just… Some.

“Shelly, darling, you're going to need to hurry. You need to leave for school in about 15 minutes.”

“Got it, Ma!” Shelly replied, as she finished braiding her sandy blonde hair. She walked into her room, glancing at her case of awards- participation awards.

She took a deep breath, as she finished putting on her shoes and stood up, “This is the year, I'm actually gonna win something. I got a plan and everything.”

She stepped out of her room into the kitchen, where her parents were.

“You seem happy today.” Her father said.

“I mean, yeah. There's no reason for me not to be!” She chuckled in response.

Then, they heard a horn beep from in front of the house.

“That's my queue,” Shelly said, “Bye Ma, bye Dad! See you after school!” She stepped onto the porch, and down the polished stone stairs to the road where Teagan and Tisha were waiting for her.

“Good morning, Shelly!” Tisha waved, beeping the horn again.

“Tisha, hon, there's no need for that.” Teagan placed a hand on her shoulder.

Shelly opened the door to the car and climbed into the backseat, of course, the car was unnervingly clean- knowing Tisha.

Shelly settled into the backseat, buckling her seatbelt. She glanced around the car, taking in the cleanliness that Tisha had ensured.

"This car is so clean, I could eat off the floor." Shelly remarked, admiring the pristine interior.

Tisha chuckled from the front seat, "I aim to keep my car pristine, Shelly. You know that."

Teagan glanced back at Shelly in the rearview mirror, a small smile on her face. "You're in a good mood this morning.”

"I have a good reason," Shelly responded, a grin spreading across her face.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Tisha asked, her interest piqued as she put the car into drive.

"Well, I have a plan. I think this year, I might actually have a chance at winning something in the science fair." Shelly declared, her excitement evident.

Teagan's smile grew slightly. "You do, huh? I've heard you say that for the last two years."

Shelly shrugged, "Well, this year is different! I'm more determined than ever.”

Tisha chuckled, her eyes still on the road ahead. "I love your spirit, Shelly. It's admirable."

Teagan glanced back at Shelly in the rearview mirror with a hint of playful skepticism. "You say that every year, sweetheart. What makes this year different?”

Shelly leaned back in her seat, confidence evident. "Well, for starters, I've got this great idea that's sure to wow everyone."

Tisha raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A great idea, you say? Care to share what it is?”

Shelly chuckled, shaking her head. "Not yet! If I tell you, it'll ruin the surprise."

Teagan chuckled, "You're a tease, Shelly."

Tisha rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Alright, be mysterious then. We'll find out soon enough, right? The science fair is next week.”

"Exactly!" Shelly exclaimed, the excitement in her voice clear. "Next week is my chance to shine. I'm gonna stun the judges, and maybe, just maybe, I'll actually win something."

Teagan chuckled softly. "We'll be rooting for you."

Tisha nodded in agreement, "You got this, Shelly. We can't wait to see what you have in store.”

Shelly grinned, feeling a boost of confidence. "I won't let you down."

The car ride continued in comfortable banter, filled with laughter and lighthearted conversation. Shelly's excitement for the science fair remained evident in every gesture. As they approached the school, Tisha pulled into the student parking lot.

"Well, looks like we're here." Tisha announced, parking the car.

"Thanks for the ride," Shelly said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "See you guys later."

Teagan and Tisha nodded in response, their faces filled with support. "Good luck with your project, Shelly." Teagan said.

Shelly smiled back at them, feeling a mixture of gratitude and nervousness. She opened the car door, waving goodbye as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

She adjusted her backpack strap, took a deep breath, and walked towards the school entrance. The day was young, and Shelly was ready to conquer it - and the upcoming science fair.

As Shelly walked through the school hallways, heading to her locker, she noticed familiar faces. It was the popular circle of kids, which she was in.. Considering she was friends with all of them, but whenever people talked about the group- they'd always forget her.

“Hey, Shells.” Sprout greeted, the other two- Vee and Astro following suit.

Shelly's face lit up as she turned to face her friends, her spirits lifted slightly at seeing them. "Hey guys!"

Sprout chuckled, "There you are. Took you long enough to arrive." He teased, a friendly smile on his face.

Vee chuckled, "We were beginning to think you got caught by a group of freshmen. They adore you, you know.”

Shelly helped out a lot in 9th Grade history because she had a free period, and the teacher was her favorite.

Shelly couldn't help but chuckle at Vee's comment.

"Oh, please. I was just helping out. It's not like I was tutoring them or anything." Shelly shrugged it off modestly.

Sprout smirked, leaning against a locker. "More like teaching the whole class."

Vee nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you know more history than half the teachers here.”

Shelly blushed faintly, feeling a mix of pride and bashfulness. "You're exaggerating, guys. It's no big deal."

Astro chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. You're like a walking textbook. You corrected the teacher more than once.”

Shelly rolled her eyes, but a small smile crept onto her face. "Okay, okay.. Maybe I do know a bit too much."

Sprout smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "A 'bit too much' is an understatement. You must've been a historian in a past life or something.”

Shelly heard the bell signal the start of class.

"Well, that's our cue," Sprout said, removing his arm from Shelly's shoulders. "We'll catch you later, Shells."

Shelly nodded and smiled, "Later, guys."

The four of them went their separate ways, heading to their first class of the day.

Throughout the day, classes passed by in the usual way. Shelly took notes and paid attention to her lessons, but her mind kept wandering back to the idea she had for the science fair.

She itched to get started on it, her excitement growing with each passing minute. Shelly was determined to turn her idea into a reality, and she was convinced that this year was going to be different, she was going to win something!

After school, she decided to walk to her parent's museum instead of going home. Once she got there, she made her way to the paleontology section. There was no one there, since it wasn't open.

Shelly adored her parent's museum, especially the paleontology section. The ancient artifacts and fossils never failed to fascinate her, and she often found comfort in the quiet solitude of the museum.

She approached the exhibits, admiring the displayed fossils with a sense of awe and reverence. As she looked at the dinosaur bones, she began thinking about her science project.

She got out her notebook and began to sketch down all the different fossil-replicas.

Shelly's pencil moved quickly, capturing the detailed outlines of the replicated dinosaur fossils on her notebook. Her concentration was unwavering, as she wanted to make sure every line was perfect.

She stopped occasionally to observe the intricate intricacies of each fossil replica, ensuring she had the accuracy needed for her project.

As she continued to sketch the dinosaur fossils, Shelly muttered to herself, "This is gonna be the best project ever. I'm gonna blow everyone away with this one."

She paused momentarily, leaning back to admire her sketches. Shelly's eyes gleamed with determination and enthusiasm as she assessed her work. She knew that this project was her ticket to finally winning something – no, this year, she was going to take home that grand prize!

The next day at school, Vee was in computer class. The teacher came up to her as she was working on her assignment.

“Y'know Vee,” The teacher began, “The science fair is coming up.”

“Mhm.” She muttered, not really listening.

“Perhaps if you'd enter, you'd be in the lead for the scholarship.” They suggested.

Vee paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, processing the teacher's statement.

"The science fair, huh?" she repeated, her mind starting to run through the possibilities. She knew about the scholarship and how prestigious it was.

She glanced at the teacher, a hint of intrigue in her eyes. "A lot of people are competing for the tech scholarship…”

The teacher noticed Vee's interest and smiled, sensing an opportunity to encourage. "That's true, but you have a knack for technology, Vee. You're one of the brightest students in this class. If you blow the judges away, there's no doubt you'd be in the lead."

Vee's fingers slowly returned to the keyboard, her mind racing with thoughts. The desire for that scholarship, the recognition it would bring... It was tempting.

"I'll..." Vee started, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "I'll think about it."

The teacher beamed at her response, clearly pleased with Vee's contemplation. They nodded appreciatively and patted her on the shoulder before walking off to assist another student.

Vee watched the teacher go, her mind still filled with ideas and the allure of that scholarship. She typed on her computer, her fingers flying over the keys as she pondered what kind of project she could create

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Vee sat in her seat for a moment, lost in thought. She glanced at her screen, the project document open and waiting.

Then, with a newfound determination, she closed the document and began packing up her bag. She had made up her mind - she was going to enter the science fair, and she was going to win that tech scholarship, no doubt about it.

“Are you sure?” Astro whispered.

They were now in 3rd period, math. They had to be quiet, considering the teacher was probably the strictest in the entire school.

“Uh- yeah?” Vee replied, “I've wanted that scholarship since I was a freshman.”

“But, what about–” Astro began, before getting cut off.

“There's no time for chit-chat, you're honor’s kids, act like it.” The teacher interrupted, practically yelling.

Astro quickly shut his mouth, shrinking in his seat. Vee rolled her eyes but stayed silent.

The rest of the class went by with the teacher's harsh criticisms and constant interruptions. It was a relief when the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the class.

Vee exited the room, with Astro trailing behind her. They waited until they were out of the teacher's earshot.

"What about what?" Vee prompted, her curiosity piqued.

"Well," Astro started, still whispering as they made their way through the crowded hall, "You don't think Shelly will feel left out?"

Vee furrowed her brows, "Why would Shelly feel left out? It's just the science fair, and I have a scholarship to win.”

“You know she's been trying to win the science fair for years, you've seen how excited she is about this year..”

Vee paused, her steps faltering slightly as Astro's words sank in. "Yeah..." she mumbled, a hint of guilt creeping into her voice.

She knew Shelly well. Shelly had been working hard for this every single year, pouring her heart into her projects, only to come up short each time. She remembered all the times Shelly had stayed up late, brainstorming, tinkering, and perfecting... only to face disappointment.

"Ugh," Vee groaned, running her hand through her hair. She never really realized the weight of the situation until now.

"Okay, so what do I do? Not compete, just to please Shelly?" She questioned, "This scholarship is the ticket to what I want to do with my life.”

"Hey guys!" A cheerful voice interrupted their conversation.

Vee and Astro turned to find Shelly herself approaching them. She had a smile on her face and carried an idea book in her hands.

"What are you two talking about?" Shelly asked, not noticing the slight tension between Vee and Astro.

Vee shot a quick glance at Astro, silently signaling to keep quiet before returning her gaze to Shelly.

"Nothing important," she replied with a nonchalant shrug, plastering a smile on her face. "Just chatting about classes.”

Shelly didn't seem convinced, but she decided not to press further. Instead, she raised her idea book, a mixture of excitement and determination in her eyes.

"Well, I've been brainstorming non-stop, and I have some amazing ideas for this year's science fair," Shelly exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

Vee mustered a smile, trying to match Shelly's enthusiasm. "Is that so?" She teased, gesturing to the idea book. "Let's see what you've got then.”

Shelly eagerly flipped open her notebook, revealing pages upon pages of scrawled notes and sketches. She practically shoved the book into Vee's hands, eager for her to see her ideas.

"Here, take a look! I've got so many ideas, but I can't decide which one to go with." Shelly explained, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

Shelly then proceeded to go on and on about her ideas until she reached her next class. They waved goodbye, and Vee headed on to Yearbook.

She sat down and practically slammed her head onto the table, groaning.

“Damn, what are you so pissed about?” Glisten, her table-mate asked, looking away from his phone.

Vee grumbled, "It's nothing. This class is just boring." She crossed her arms, her annoyance evident in her body language.

Her gaze shifted towards the window, watching as other students passed by outside the classroom door. She couldn't help but let her mind wander, especially when the teacher was so painfully monotoned.

“Girl, I know that's a lie. You love yearbook.. For some reason.” He replied, in his normal totally-not-a-twink accent.

Vee shot Glisten a sharp glare, "Okay, fine. I'm not mad because of the class. I'm mad because... I have a dilemma."

She sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair. She fidgeted with a strand of her hair, avoiding Glisten's eyes.

"It's just... I have this opportunity to win a big scholarship if I enter the science fair..." She admitted, her voice quieting as she glanced around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping.

She leaned in closer to Glisten, lowering her voice to a whisper. "But Shelly has been trying to win that damn science fair forever, and I don't think she'd be happy if I competed…”

“Oop, girl–”

“I am not in the mood for your gay shit today.”

She leaned back in her chair once more, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"The point is, I really want to win that damn scholarship, but I don't want to upset Shelly in the process. She's been trying to win the science fair for years, and I know how much it means to her.”

“Well, like.. If she's your friend- she'd like, support you or something.” Glisten replied.

“That's what everyone says, but.. She's wanted this for so long..” She sighed, propping her arm up.

“Anyways, who's Shelby?”

"Dude.”

For the rest of the day, Vee could see Shelly sketching and talking about her ideas.. Which only made her feel worse.. But, she had to do this.

Vee pulled into the driveway of her house, and got out of the car before unlocking the door. The house was pretty big, considering she was on the wealthier side… So was Shelly, and Sprout.. And Astro- you get it.

Vee entered her house, her thoughts still consumed by her predicament. She walked through the grand foyer and up the stairs to her room, collapsing onto her bed with a sigh.

As much as she wanted this scholarship, she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that tugged at her conscience. The image of Shelly's excited face as she talked about her ideas kept popping into Vee's mind, making her feel like a terrible friend.

Vee buried her face into her pillow, groaning. She was torn between her ambition for the scholarship and not wanting to upset Shelly.

She stayed like that for a few moments, letting her mind reel with conflicting thoughts and emotions. Eventually, she rolled over onto her back again, staring up at the ceiling before getting out her laptop and beginning to code her project.

The hours flew by as Vee worked on her project, the words and codes on her screen blending together into a web of letters and numbers. She would occasionally pause to brainstorm ideas or research, but the majority of her focus was on getting her project just right.

Night had fallen, the room illuminated only by the soft glow of her laptop screen. Vee rubbed her eyes wearily, taking a moment to stretch her arms. She glanced at the clock, surprised by how much time had passed. Still, exhaustion clawed at her, and she knew she needed a break.

With a sigh, Vee shut her laptop and stood up, her muscles protesting from sitting in one position for so long. She glanced out the window and realized how dark it had gotten outside.

She decided to take a short walk outside to clear her head and get some fresh air. Vee grabbed a jacket and slipped on her shoes before quietly slipping out the front door.

The night air was cooler and fresher than the air inside the house. Vee took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. The houses on her street were quiet, with only the sound of crickets and the occasional passing car breaking the peaceful silence.

She started walking, her footsteps nearly silent against the pavement. Her mind began to clear, the weight of her dilemma feeling a little lighter somehow.

As she continued walking, Vee aimlessly wandered through the streets. She found herself passing by Shelly's house, the lights inside softly illuminating the front yard.

She paused for a moment, hesitating. A part of her wanted to go knock on the door, to talk to Shelly and explain her predicament.. But a mixture of guilt and uncertainty held her back. Vee sighed silently, shaking her head.

With a pang of guilt, Vee turned away from Shelly's house and continued walking. She tried to push down the nagging feeling of guilt, convincing herself that it was just a harmless competition—after all, wasn't that the point of the science fair?

Meanwhile, Shelly was in her bedroom working on her project. She took pieces of clay and molded them into fossils, making sure to get every crevice.

Shelly was fully engrossed in her work, her hands working diligently with the clay. She carefully molded the fossils, her fingers carefully shaping each crevice and detail with precision.

She had multiple reference books spread open around her, her eyes constantly darting between the pages and the clay in her hands, ensuring everything was as accurate as possible.

Shelly stepped back, admiring her progress. The fossils she had created looked incredibly realistic, with each tiny detail meticulously molded and sculpted.

She couldn't help but feel proud of her work, knowing that she had poured her heart into every piece. The clay fossils were a perfect combination of science and art, and she couldn't wait to showcase them at the science fair.

As Shelly admired her work, she decided to take a small break. She set the clay fossil down and stretched her arms, letting out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair.

There was a twinge of nervousness in her heart, but the excitement for the science fair was stronger. She had worked hard on her project, and now all she had to do was wait for the big day to arrive.

The day of the science fair was sunny, giving Shelly hope that this was finally her year. She finished setting up her project, the clay fossils sitting on a table in front of a poster board with information about each of the fossils on it.

The halls of the school were buzzing with activity. Students, teachers, and parents had gathered for the science fair, everyone eager to see the various projects lined up.

Shelly stood near her display, a mixture of excitement and nerves coursing through her. Her clay fossils were neatly set up on the table, each one carefully molded and painted to resemble the real fossil.

She straightened her project display, making sure everything was in its place. This was it—time to see if her years of hard work would finally pay off.

As students and parents began filing into the room, Shelly's heart raced with anticipation. She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.

The judges, a panel of three adults, walked through the room, assessing each project with a critical eye. Shelly watched them carefully, waiting anxiously for them to arrive at her display.

The judges eventually made their way to Shelly's project, their expressions a mix of curiosity and intrigue. They studied each of the clay fossils, their eyes darting between the display and the information board.

Shelly watched them anxiously, holding her breath as they examined the details and intricate design of her project. Time seemed to slow as she waited for their reaction.

After what felt like an eternity, the judges finally spoke. "Impressive." One of them said, admiring the fossils.

"Very realistic." Added another, nodding approvingly.

The third judge studied the information board, reading through the details carefully. Shelly felt a flicker of hope ignite in her chest. Was this it? Was she going to win?

The judges continued to discuss her project, their comments a mix of positive and constructive feedback. They seemed genuinely impressed with her work, and Shelly could barely contain her excitement.

The judges moved on to the next project, leaving Shelly to eagerly wait for their final decision. The anticipation was killing her, and she fidgeted nervously with the edge of her shirt.

Suddenly, she heard a symphony of “oohs” coming from another project. Distracted from her thoughts, Shelly's gaze snapped towards the sound. The sound of "oohs" immediately caught her attention, and curiosity got the better of her. She turned her head and glanced over to the source of the noises.

She spotted another project attracting a crowd, and the "oohs" continued as people gathered around. Shelly's curiosity piqued, she slowly stepped away from her own display, moving closer to see what had caused such a commotion.

As Shelly approached the crowded project, she heard snippets of conversations among the students and parents.

"Whoa, this is really cool.."

"I've never seen anything like this before.."

She pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes widening as she finally caught sight of the impressive project that had everyone talking.

Shelly stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide as she took in the sight before her, "Vee?”

Vee turned towards Shelly's voice, caught off guard by her sudden presence. She had been focused on explaining her project to a group of students and parents, but now her attention shifted to Shelly.

"Oh.. Hey.." Vee replied, her voice slightly faltering as she saw the confusion and surprise on Shelly's face.

Shelly stood there, her gaze flickering between Vee and her project. The excitement she once felt for her own project began to slowly fade, replaced by a mixture of disbelief and unease.

She struggled to find the words, unable to comprehend the situation. "I–uh.. What is.. this?" Shelly gestured to Vee's project, her eyes scanning the impressive display.

Vee awkwardly fiddled with her hands, avoiding Shelly's gaze. She knew this moment was inevitable, and now she had to face the consequences.

"It's, um.. It's a project I've been working on.." She tried to explain, her voice quiet.

Shelly's eyes darted between Vee and the crowded project, a mixture of emotions on her face. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, one of the judges approached them.

The judge smiled at Vee, "Your project is quite impressive, young lady. I think its clear we have a winner.”

Shelly's heart sank as the judge made his comment. She glanced at Vee, seeing the mixture of guilt and relief on her face. The realization hit her hard—Vee had won.

Shelly tried to keep her composure, plastering a smile on her face. "Congratulations.." She managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

The crowd around them erupted into applause, congratulating Vee and admiring her project. Shelly felt like she was in a dream—a nightmare. This was suppose to be her moment, her time to shine after all her hard work.

The judges called everyone's attention, signaling the start of the awards ceremony. Shelly stood there, frozen in her spot, watching as Vee accepted her award and basked in the praise.

She wanted to be happy for Vee, to be a good friend and support her success. But at the same time, she couldn't ignore the bitter sting of disappointment and frustration building up inside her.

As the ceremony continued, Shelly stood there frozen. She felt like she was falling. The room was loud with applause, but she couldn't hear anything but her heartbeat and her breathing.

Shelly wanted to leave, to flee the room, or maybe disappear. But her legs wouldn't move, and she was rooted in place, forced to watch as Vee stood under the spotlight.

Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her emotions a jumbled mess. Shelly forced a smile, clapping and feigning happiness for Vee's sake.

One of the judges walked up to her and handed her an award, a participation award. She took it and traced her finger over the swirl on it.

Shelly glanced down at the award in her hand, the weight of it crushing her spirit. It was a participation award, the same consolation prize given to every student who didn't win.

The judge gave her a small, pitiful smile, "Better luck next year." They said before walking away. Shelly's grip on the award tightened, her knuckles turning white. She glanced up at Vee and the other winner, before walking out of the science fair.

Shelly's chest ached as she walked out of the room, the sound of applause fading behind her. She clutched the participation award tightly, her mind racing with a million thoughts.

She just wanted to be alone, to process her emotions and come to terms with what had happened. The excitement and hope she once had for the science fair, the hard work she had put in, it was all overshadowed by Vee's victory.

Once Vee escaped from the crowd, she started looking around for Shelly, wanting a chance to explain.

Shelly had made her way down the near empty halls, finding a quiet corner away from the crowd. She leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to regain her composure.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. Shelly tensed, but before she could turn around, a familiar voice called out. "Shelly..”

Shelly froze, her body rigid. She knew that voice all too well- it was Vee.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, before turning around to face her. Shelly plastered on a smile, but her eyes betrayed her true emotions. She was hurt, but she tried to hide it behind a facade of indifference.

"Congrats." Shelly said, her voice filled with false cheerfulness. She clutched her award tighter, her knuckles whitening.

Vee stepped closer, her expression a mix of guilt and concern. She could tell that Shelly was putting on a facade, but she didn't know how to break the wall that had suddenly formed between them.

"Thanks." Vee replied awkwardly, her eyes darting around. She fidgeted with her hands, unsure of how to proceed.

They stood there in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, the air between them thick with tension. Shelly could feel Vee's eyes on her, but she refused to meet her gaze, instead staring down at the award in her hand.

Shelly could feel her emotions starting to swirl, the facade she was trying so hard to maintain crumbling. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.

"It's fine," Shelly finally spoke, her eyes still fixed on the award in her hand. "I'm fine.. You deserve to win. Your project was better.." Her voice trailed off, a hint of bitterness evident in her words.

Vee could sense the bitter undertones in Shelly's words, and it stung. She stepped forward, wanting to reach out and comfort her, but she stopped herself.

"Shelly.." Vee started, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm so sorry..”

"Don't apologize." Shelly interrupted her, her voice firm.

She finally looked up from the award in her hands, her eyes meeting Vee's gaze. There was a mixture of pain and hurt in her eyes, but also a flicker of anger.

"You won fair and square," Shelly continued, her grip on the award tightening. "You earned that trophy. You don't have to apologize for being better than me.”

Vee opened her mouth to protest, but Shelly cut her off again. "Just go back to your project... and enjoy the moment, alright?"

She forced another fake smile, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Shelly wanted to be happy for Vee, she really did, but the pain of losing was still fresh and raw.

"Shelly.. Please.." Vee tried to reach out, but Shelly stepped back, creating a distance between them.

"Just... go." Shelly repeated, her voice firmer this time.

Vee stood there, unsure of what to do. She wanted to apologize, to make it right, but Shelly's emotions were unstable. She eventually nodded reluctantly and reluctantly turned away, leaving Shelly alone in the empty hallway.

The next day, Shelly wasn't at school.

Chapter Text

“So, yeah. She's not talking to me at the moment.” Vee explained, as she followed Astro through the hallway.

“I mean.. What did you expect?” He asked, in his usual hushed tone.

“I knew she'd be upset, but like, y'know..” She replied, leaning against a locker with a sigh.

Astro motioned at her to move, since she was leaning on his locker. She rolled her eyes and got up, crossing her arms.

“Did you at least get–” Astro began, before he opened his locker and something practically flew out of it.

“The hell?” Vee responded, confused.

Astro went to inspect what fell out, he picked up the folded up piece of paper.

“Oh my fucking god. Is that a love note?” She said, a little too loudly. Now everyone in the hall was looking at them.

Astro shot Vee a glare, feeling his face heat up from the attention. He quickly tucked the note into his bag, a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance on his face.

"Shut up." He muttered, his tone a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

Vee grinned, not missing the opportunity to tease him. "Aww, someone's got a secret admirer! Who's the lucky girl?”

Astro sighed, shooting Vee a look that told her to knock it off. He closed his locker and started walking down the hallway, trying to ignore the stares and whispers from passing students.

"It's just a stupid note," he muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Probably just a prank or something."

Vee caught up with him, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Right.. because people totally leave anonymous love notes in people's lockers for funsies.”

Astro rolled his eyes, trying to convince himself that the note wasn't important. "Whatever, I already said it's probably just a joke."

Vee smirked, not buying his denial for a second. "Oh come on, don't be such a buzzkill. Maybe it's actually from someone who has a massive crush on you.." she teased, gently elbowing him in the ribs.

Astro huffed, the faintest hint of a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He quickly tried to act dismissive. "Yeah, right. Like there's actually a girl who likes me like that."

Vee chuckled, enjoying the rare sight of Astro being flustered. "Hey, you never know. Maybe you have some secret admirers lurking in the shadows."

Astro shot her a skeptical look. "You know I don't like girls..”

Vee smirked, not letting him off the hook that easily.

"Oh right, I forget you swing the other direction. Well then, maybe you've got a secret admirer from the guys instead, hm?"

Astro grumbled, his blush deepening a shade. "Can we not talk about this right now?" he muttered, quickening his pace to try and escape Vee's relentless teasing.

Vee chuckled, matching his pace and keeping up with him.

"Aww, is Astro getting bashful about his secret admirer?" She teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Astro grumbled again, trying to ignore her. But, he couldn't deny that a part of him was secretly curious about the note, even if he was too proud to admit it.

"Shut up.”

Vee grinned, sensing Astro's inner conflict.

"You know, most people would be flattered to get a love note in their locker." She continued, her tone playful.

Astro huffed, still trying to maintain his stoic demeanor. "I'm not most people. And I still don't think it's real."

Vee chuckled, rolling her eyes at his stubbornness. "Well, why don't you open the note and see for yourself then? It won't bite, ya know.”

He began reading the note, his eyes scanning the words on the paper. The blush on his cheeks deepened as he read, and he instinctively tried to hide the note from Vee's view.

Vee leaned closer, trying to get a peek at the contents of the note. "Well? Come on, what does it say?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Astro huffed, still trying to shield the note from her view.

"It's.. just a prank. Just as I expected." He replied, his voice a little too defensive.

Vee smirked, seeing right through his bluff. "Oh really? Then why are you so insistent on hiding it from me?"

Astro grumbled, caught in his lie. He knew Vee wouldn't let this go easily, and he was beginning to feel cornered.

Vee leaned against a locker, a smug grin plastered on her face. "C'mon Astro, let me see the note. I promise I won't laugh." She said, holding her hand out expectantly.

Astro hesitated, his grip on the note tightening. He knew giving in to Vee's demands would be like handing her ammunition for more teasing later on, but her persistence was starting to wear him down.

Astro grumbled again but finally relented, handing the note over to her with a huff. "Just.. don't make a big deal out of it.”

Vee eagerly snatched the note from his hand and started reading it, her eyes scanning the words on the paper.

Astro watched with a mixture of dread and resignation, dreading Vee's reaction. He could only imagine how she would tease him after reading the note.

Vee's eyes widened slightly as she went through the note, a cheeky smirk spreading across her face. "Oh my god.." she muttered.

Astro's heart sank at her reaction, bracing himself for the incoming teasing. He knew that smirk all too well - it was the mischievous look she got when she found something juicy to tease him about.

"What?" he muttered, his voice laced with irritation and anticipation.

Vee chuckled, holding the note up, "This isn't a prank, Astro. This is a full on love confession.”

Astro's face reddened, a mix of surprise and embarrassment washing over him. He hadn't expected the note to actually be a genuine confession.

He fumbled for the right words, attempting to act indifferent. "W-well.. it's probably just some kind of joke. People mess with me all the time.."

Vee chuckled again, clearly enjoying his flustered state. "Oh, this is definitely real, trust me. This little admirer of yours poured their heart and soul into this note.”

Astro grumbled, feeling more embarrassed by the second. The way she was gleefully enjoying his flustered state only made him more irritated.

He crossed his arms, trying to keep up his usual stoicism. "Okay fine, it's real. So what? It's not like it changes anything."

Vee rolled her eyes at his attempt at indifference. "Oh come on, Astro. It's a cute love note. Don't you want to know who it's from?”

Astro's blush deepened. He was getting flustered and annoyed with Vee's incessant teasing. "Why are you so interested?" he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Vee chuckled at his reaction, enjoying his flustered demeanor. "Because I don't have to focus on my own problems if I'm focused on yours."

Astro huffed, trying to mask his growing embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah.. Whatever."

Vee was relentless, her smirk only growing wider. She crossed her arms, resting her back against the locker. "Oh, but you're not curious at all? You don't want to know who this secret admirer of yours is?”

Astro tried to maintain his indifferent expression, but he couldn't deny that curiosity was starting to nag at him.

He begrudgingly admitted, "Fine, maybe I'm a bit curious. But it's not like I'm gonna start hunting them down or anything."

Vee smirked at his admission, seeing through his tough act. "Aha! I knew you were curious." She said, jabbing a finger at him. "You're just too proud to admit it.”

Astro huffed, rolling his eyes. He hated how well Vee could see through his facade.

"Yeah, yeah.. I'm curious. Happy?"

Vee chuckled, clearly enjoying his reluctant admission. "Oh, very happy."

Astro grumbled, not enjoying being at the mercy of her teasing. "And how exactly are we going to figure out who my secret admirer is? Just go around interrogating everyone?”

Vee smirked, clearly having a plan. "No need for interrogation, my dear Astro. We have a simpler approach."

Astro raised an eyebrow, intrigued in spite of himself.

"And what exactly is this simpler approach? Enlighten me, please." He said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Vee chuckled, enjoying his sarcastic response. "Well, instead of interrogating every student in school, we're going to ask the expert."

Astro raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "And who, pray tell, is this expert you speak of?"

Vee grinned, leaning closer. "The one student who knows everything about everyone.”

Astro's eyes widened momentarily, as the realization of who Vee was talking about dawned on him.

"Oh hell no." He shook his head, a mixture of reluctance and slight fear in his eyes.

"We are not asking Dandy," he stated firmly, trying to veto the idea immediately.

Vee chuckled, clearly entertained by his reaction. "And why not? Dandy's like a walking encyclopedia of every student's secrets and relationships."

Astro groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration, "You hate him, he hates you. He's not gonna help you.”

"Oh, I know he ain't gonna help me," Vee said casually, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "But he'll help you."

Astro's eyes widened again, his expression a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"He's not gonna help me either unless he gets paid!" he protested, his voice slightly louder than before.

Vee chuckled at his outburst, enjoying the fact that she was riling him up. "Oh, you're right about that. Dandy doesn't do anything without some sort of compensation."

Astro crossed his arms, his irritation growing. "Then how are you going to convince him?”

Vee smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Easy. You're gonna pay him, Astro."

Astro's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Me?! Why do I have to pay him?!"

Vee chuckled. "Because, my dear, you're the one who wants to know who your secret admirer is. And if you want Dandy's help, you're going to have to dig into your wallet..”

“Why don't you pay? You obviously want to know more than I do.” Astro retorted at her.

Vee's smirk widened at his response. "Oh sweetheart, you're forgetting something very important here. It's your love note, not mine."

Astro grumbled, knowing she had a point. He hated admitting it, but he wanted to know who his secret admirer was, and he knew Dandy was their best chance.

He sighed, his tone defeated, "Fine. I'll pay.”

"That's the spirit," Vee teased, patting him on the shoulder. "Now, let's go find our resident information broker."

Astro grumbled at her touch, shoving her hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with."

Vee chuckled, clearly enjoying seeing him all flustered and agitated. "Oh don't look so grumpy, it'll be fun.”

“Why don't we ask Glisten? He knows way more gossip than Dandy.”

“Glisten doesn't have access to the security cameras.” Vee winked.

Astro's eyes widened as he realized the implications of her statement. "Security cameras.. oh hell no." He muttered, shaking his head.

"You can't be serious.. You want to hack into the school's security? We'll get expelled for sure!"

Vee chuckled, clearly enjoying his growing panic. "Oh, relax. You're acting like I haven't done this before.”

Astro stared at her, his expression a mixture of awe and terror. "You've hacked into the school's security before?!"

Vee shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. "A little hacking here and there. Nothing illegal, just.. taking a peek."

Astro groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You're insane, you know that?”

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Vee chuckled, gently patting his arm. "It's a simple hack, in and out. The security system's a bit outdated, easy to crack."

Astro looked like he had ten different things he wanted to say, but was struggling to find the words. He just sputtered in disbelief, feeling like he was being dragged into a crazy scheme.

"And you expect me to believe this won't get us expelled? If we get caught, we're screwed!”

"Pfft, relax. You're overthinking it," Vee shot him down casually, rolling her eyes. "We go in, grab what we need, and get out. No one has to know."

Astro let out a heavy sigh, feeling completely outnumbered by Vee's recklessness. "This is insane. We can't just break into the security room and- oh my god, I can't believe I'm saying this.." He pinched the bridge of his nose, already regretting even considering this ridiculous plan.

“I didn't say we were breaking in the security room?” She questioned, “No, we just need to go to Dandy.”

Astro's brain needed a moment to catch up with Vee's words. He had completely misunderstood their course of action.

"Wait, what?" he exclaimed, his frustration momentarily forgotten. "We're just asking Dandy?"

Vee chuckled, shaking her head at his confusion. "Yep, that's the plan."

Astro groaned, feeling equally relieved and irritated. "God, you're confusing sometimes, you know that?"

He paused, his mind still processing their plan. "Wait, how is Dandy going to help then?

“He has a laptop that tracks the cameras.” Vee explained.

Astro's eyes widened, as he began to understand Vee's plan. "He.. tracks the cameras? As in, he has access to all the school's security cameras?"

Vee chuckled at his amazed expression. "Yep. Dandy's laptop has access to all camera feeds. He can see every corner of the school, pretty much."

Astro was momentarily speechless. This was a whole new level of information he wasn't prepared for. "And you know this.. how?" he asked, slightly wary.

Vee shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk playing on her lips. "I have my sources."

Astro narrowed his eyes, suspicion written all over his face. He knew Vee had a habit of getting her hands on sensitive information, but this was a whole new level of espionage.

"You know, sometimes I worry about the lengths you'll go to get information.." he muttered, giving her a sidelong glance.

"Like I said, that's showbiz." Vee said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, information is power."

Astro rolled his eyes, familiar with Vee's flair for the dramatic. He knew there was no talking her out of her crazy schemes.

"And I suppose you already have a plan for how we're gonna bribe Dandy." He stated more as a fact rather than a question.

He crossed his arms, begrudgingly agreeing to their plan. "Alright, fine. We'll ask Dandy for help. But you better hope this doesn't blow up in our face."

Vee grinned, seeing that she had successfully dragged him into her plan. "Oh, don't worry, Astro. This plan is foolproof."

Astro huffed, his skepticism clear on his face. "Famous last words.." he muttered under his breath.

Vee chuckled, undeterred by his skepticism. "Have a little faith, Astro. Things usually work out in the end."

Astro grumbled, still feeling uneasy about the whole ordeal. He couldn't help but worry about the possible consequences. But deep down, a part of him was also intrigued and secretly glad that Vee involved him in her madness.

With a sigh, he resigned himself to the plan. "Fine. When are we going to see Dandy?”

"Now, of course." Vee replied, a grin on her face. "Dandy's usually hanging around the library during this time. We'll find him there."

Astro groaned inwardly, the thought of confronting Dandy not particularly appealing. But he had no choice but to follow Vee.

"Alright, let's get this over with." He muttered, gesturing for her to lead the way.

They made their way through the hall, heading towards the library. Vee walked with an air of confidence, her steps quick and purposeful.

Astro followed her at a slightly slower pace, still feeling unconvinced about this whole thing. "You think Dandy's just going to help us without any fuss?"

Vee shrugged, pushing open the door to the library. "He'll grumble and complain, I bet. But he'll do it for the right price.."

Sure enough, they found Dandy sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by books and snacks.

Vee approached Dandy, with Astro trailing behind, reluctant and wary. Dandy, however, didn't even bother looking up from his book.

"What do you want, Vee? I'm busy here." He muttered, not taking his eyes off his book.
Vee put her hands on her hips, her usual cheeky grin on her face. "Well, nice to see you, too."

Dandy finally looked up from his book, fixing Vee with a bored look. "I'm assuming you need something, or you wouldn't be bothering me."

Astro stepped forward, standing next to Vee. "We, uh.. we need a favor." He said, his voice lacking confidence.

Dandy raised an eyebrow, looking between Vee and Astro. "A favor, huh? Well, that's a rarity."

He closed his book and leaned back in his chair. "Alright, let's hear it. What is it that you want?"

Vee, as usual, was the one who spoke up. "We need you to look something up for us."

Dandy snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course you do. And what exactly am I looking up?”

Vee leaned in closer, a mischievous spark in her eyes. "We need you to check the school's security camera footage from this morning. Specifically, we need you to look at the footage from Hall C."

Dandy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Hall C, huh? And why do you need footage from there?”

"We're just curious about something." Vee said, using her usual vague and cryptic approach.

Dandy looked at her skeptically. "Just curious? Come on, Vee. You're going to have to give me a better reason than that."

Astro, feeling pressured, spoke up. "Someone left a note in my locker, and we want to figure out who did it.”

Dandy looked at them and shrugged, “Unfortunately, there isn't an amount of money you could give me to show that footage.”

Vee's smirk dropped momentarily, clearly taken aback by his response. Astro, on the other hand, groaned in frustration.

"Seriously? You're not going to help us?" He exclaimed, his irritation growing.

Dandy shrugged again. "Let's just say.. Someone beat you to it.”

Vee's eyes narrowed, her curiosity piqued. "Someone beat us to it? What do you mean?"

Dandy leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "I mean that someone already told me specifically to not show you the footage.”

Astro and Vee both exchanged glances, shock and annoyance evident on their faces. Astro spoke up first, his voice laced with anger.

"Someone told you to not show us the footage? Who?"

Dandy chuckled, clearly enjoying their frustration. "Sorry, can't tell you that. The person was very specific about keeping it quiet.”

Vee grit her teeth, clearly not used to being outsmarted like this. "This is ridiculous, Dandy. We need to see the footage, and you're the only one who can help us."

Dandy crossed his arms, amusement written all over his face. "Well whoever wrote the note was clearly 2 steps ahead.”

Astro clenched his fists, feeling utterly stuck. Vee was visibly angry, her temper flaring as she struggled to hide her frustration.

"Damn it.." she muttered under her breath.

Dandy chuckled again, relishing in their defeat. "I'm afraid I can't help you, sorry." He said nonchalantly, picking back up his book.

Vee shot him a dark look, clearly not accepting his refusal. "You're unbelievable, you know that? We came to you for help, and this is how you treat us?"

Dandy simply shrugged again, his gaze fixed on his book. "Hey, I'm just doing what I was told. Blame the person who asked me first, not me.”

Vee huffed, her anger barely contained. "This isn't over." She growled.

They exited the library, their steps quick and angry. Astro was still processing the situation, frustrated with the day's events.

"Damn it." Astro muttered, his voice laced with disappointment. "What the hell are we going to do now? Dandy was our only hope.”

“Well, there's one more way we could get access to the cameras.” Vee replied.

Astro raised an eyebrow, curious despite himself. "And what would that be?"

Vee smirked mischievously, a spark in her eyes. "Break in to the school's security room. Sneak in, access the cameras, and see who left the note."

Astro's eyes widened. "Are you insane? That's breaking and entering! We'd get expelled for sure if we got caught.”

Vee seemed unfazed by Astro's concerns. "Come on, it's not breaking and entering if they don't find out we're there." She retorted, a sly grin on her face.

Astro gave her a look. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What if we get caught? We're risking our entire future just to find out who left a stupid note.”

“Fine, I'll do it myself.” Vee shrugged.

“Are you kidding, you're smart, but you aren't exactly sneaky, Vee.”

Vee let out an offended huff, clearly annoyed by his comment. "Hey, I can be sneaky if I want to be!"

Astro chuckled, rolling his eyes at her defensiveness. "Oh, really? And when was the last time you were sneaky in anything?"

Vee scowled at him, crossing her arms. "Fine. Then you do it." She challenged him defiantly.

Astro laughed in surprise, caught off guard by her challenge. "Me? You want me to break into the security room? Have you lost your mind?"

Vee didn't back down, her gaze unwavering. "Yeah. You're more level-headed and logical than me. You won't get caught as easily."

Astro rubbed his temples, feeling the headache that was forming. "And what makes you think I'd agree to this? I don't have a death wish, you know.”

Vee crossed her arms, a smug look on her face. "Just admit it, you're too scared to do it."

Astro bristled, his competitive nature taking over. "I'm not scared. I'm just not stupid enough to get myself expelled."

Vee smirked, sensing his competitive spirit. "You're just afraid of taking risks. But I guess bravery and recklessness are two different things."

Astro's eyes darkened at the jibe. "I'm not afraid of taking risks. I just know where to draw the line between bravery and stupidity.”

Vee tilted her head, a mocking expression on her face. "Oh really? Cause it sounds like you're just a chicken to me."

Astro bristled at her comment, "I am NOT a chicken." He retorted, feeling provoked.

Vee chuckled, seeing that she'd hit a nerve. "Prove it. Prove you're not afraid to take a risk.”

Astro clenched his fists, feeling the adrenaline rushing through his veins, "There's no point, I already know who sent the note!”

Vee's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of curiosity on her face. "You do?"

Astro nodded, trying his best to look confident. "I have my suspicions..."

Vee leaned closer, lowering her voice to a hush. "You have suspicions? Then tell me, oh wise one, who the hell sent you the note?”

Astro leaned in closer, lowering his voice to match her hushed tone. He glanced around to make sure nobody was listening, then spoke in a low whisper. "I think I know..."

Vee's eyes widened, her interest peaked. "Who? Who do you think it is?"

Astro took a breath, building up the suspense as he leaned in even closer, his face mere inches away from hers. "I'll tell you... but on one condition.”

Vee looked intrigued, her curiosity overruling any annoyance she had previously felt. "What condition?" She questioned, her eyes never leaving his face.

Astro gave her a small smirk, enjoying having the upper hand for once. "Promise me you won't meddle in my love life.”

Vee blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected request. "What? That's your condition?"

Astro nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Yes, promise me you won't meddle in my love life. No teasing, no interfering, no meddling, no matchmaking, nothing. I want your word."

Vee rolled her eyes, clearly finding this condition annoying. "Ugh, fine. I promise not to meddle in your love life, happy now?”

Astro let out a relieved breath, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Yes, that makes me happy." he replied with a nod.

Vee huffed, crossing her arms. "Alright, I promised. Now tell me who you think sent the stupid note.”

Astro took another glance around them to make sure no one was nearby then leaned in close again. "Okay, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to freak out or overreact."

Vee, now even more intrigued, nodded slightly. "Okay, I promise I won't freak out. Now just tell me already.”

Astro let out a shaky breath, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement. He closed the distance between them even further until his face was only inches away from hers. His voice dropped to a hushed hush as he revealed his suspicion. "I think... I think the note was from..."

His eyes locked with hers as he paused for dramatic effect.

“Oh, it was Dandy.”

Vee and Astro both jumped at the voice, it was Connie- she had a habit of sneaking up on people.

Both Astro and Vee whirled around, surprise etched on their faces. They hadn't realized that Connie was there, listening in on their conversation.

Vee quickly composed herself, trying to seem unfazed. "Damn it, Connie! How long have you been there?”

Connie chuckled, clearly enjoying the surprise she had caused. "Oh, long enough to hear your little discussion."

Astro frowned, feeling a little annoyed. "You couldn't have made your presence known earlier?"

Connie shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. "What can I say? I enjoy a good eavesdrop.”

Vee rolled her eyes, her annoyance evident. "Well, now that you're here, we might as well ask you something."

Connie raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What is it? Do you need some advice or something?”

Vee glanced at Astro, silently asking for him to take the lead. Astro nodded, clearing his throat. "How do you know it was Dandy?”

Connie chuckled, as if the answer were obvious. "It's not rocket science. Everyone knows Dandy's had it for you since freshman year. Also, I saw him drop the note so..”

Astro and Vee exchanged a look, both surprised by the revelation. Vee was the first to break the silence. "Wait, you saw him drop the note? And you didn't think to tell us?"

Connie shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I thought it was obvious.”

Astro pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to make sense of everything. "Great, so it was just Dandy all along." he muttered, an annoyed tone in his voice.

Vee crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "And all that drama and sneaking around was for nothing?"

Connie chuckled, clearly amused by their reaction. "Looks like the cat's out of the bag, huh?”

“I already knew Dandy liked me, what was the point of all this?” Astro sighed, “The only reason we stopped being friends in the first place is because I didn't know how to react.”

Connies eyes widened slightly, surprised by Astro's revelation. "Wait... you and Dandy were friends?"

Astro nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Yeah, we used to be really close. But then I found out he had feelings for me and I didn't know how to handle it, so I pushed him away.”

Vee's expression softened as she began to think, "...Instead of communicating, you pushed him away.. And it ruined everything?”

Astro nodded, his voice tinged with regret. "Yeah. Instead of talking it out, I just shut him out. I thought it was easier to ignore the problem than to face it.”

Vee sighed, understanding his struggle. "So you let your fear of confrontation destroy your friendship with him.."

Connie chimed in, her tone less playful. "And now you're wondering if it's too late to fix things between you two…”

"Exactly.." Astro said, his voice laced with a hint of longing. "I miss having him as a friend. But I don't know if he'll even want to talk to me after everything I put him through.”

Vee stood there for a moment, “Shit, I gotta go.”

Both Astro and Connie looked at Vee, surprised by her sudden announcement.

"Wait, where are you going?" Astro asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Vee glanced down the hall, her mind clearly on something else. "I've gotta take care of something. I'll talk to you guys later." She shot them a quick wave before turning and hurrying off, her steps quickening as if she was in a hurry.

Astro and Connie watched Vee disappear down the hall, confusion and concern etched on their faces.

"What was that all about?" Connie muttered.

Astro shook his head, his mind still whirling from their conversation. "I have no idea.. But I need to go talk to Dandy.”

"What? Now?" Connie asked, surprised.

Astro nodded, a newfound determination in his eyes. "Yeah. There's no point in waiting any longer. I need to apologize to Dandy and try to fix things..”

"Wow, you're being really ballsy." Connie said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Astro chuckled, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation. "I know.. I just gotta do this. I've been beating myself up about this for too long. If I don't fix things with Dandy, I'll never forgive myself."

Connie nodded, her tone supportive. "Good for you. But be careful, you know how stubborn Dandy can be.”

"Yeah, I know." Astro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But I owe it to him, and to myself, to try and make things right. Even if he doesn't forgive me, at least I'll have done my part."

Connie gave him a reassuring smile, "That's the spirit. Go give it a shot. Who knows, he might just surprise you.”

Astro smiled back, feeling a surge of hope mixed with anxiety. "Thanks, Connie. Wish me luck."

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. "I'm gonna find Dandy and have a serious talk with him. Face-to-face. No more avoiding or running away.”

With a newfound resolve, Asto turned and started walking down the hall, heading towards the direction where Dandy usually hung out.

Connie watched him go, a sense of hope and anticipation settling within her. "You got this, Astro." she murmured under her breath, silently wishing him the best.

Astro walked down the hall, his heart pounding as he neared Dandy's usual spot. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He knew this conversation wouldn't be easy. Not after the way he had treated his former best friend.

Finally, he made his way into the abandoned bathroom where Dandy sold his goods.

As he entered, he spotted Dandy sitting alone in the corner, sorting through a small pile of goods. Dandy glanced up, his eyes widening slightly when he saw who had entered.

Astro hesitated for a moment, his courage wavering slightly. He could feel the tension in the air, the weight of their unresolved issues hanging between them. Taking a deep breath, he plastered a nervous smile on his face.

"Hey, Dandy," he said awkwardly, trying to break the ice.

Dandy quickly put on his salesman cover, "Hey, Astro. What do you need?”

Astro shifted awkwardly, feeling the weight of the situation. "Can we talk for a sec? It's important."

Dandy eyed him warily, trying to keep up his facade. "Sure, go ahead. Just be quick, I'm pretty busy here.”

Astro took another deep breath, mentally preparing himself to start the conversation. "I wanted to talk to you about... well... us."

Dandy's demeanor changed, his facade slipping slightly. "Us?" he asked, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

Astro nodded, forcing himself to keep going. "I know you sent the note."

He took a small step closer, trying to close the physical and emotional distance between them.

"And I wanted to say..." Astro took a deep breath, his voice softening slightly. "I'm sorry."

Dandy's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting that. He looked at Astro, his expression a mix of confusion and cautious hope.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away. For treating you differently just because I was too scared to handle your feelings for me.."

Astro's voice trembled slightly as he continued, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "I messed up. I made a mistake... and I want to make things right between us.”

Dandy's expression softened as he listened to Astro's words. He could see the genuine remorse in his eyes, the vulnerability in his voice.

He was silent for a moment, as if processing what he had just heard. Then, he spoke up, his voice quieter than usual. "You... you mean it? You really want to fix things between us?”

"Of course I do." Astro said, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I miss you. I miss us. You were my best friend and I... I messed everything up. I was afraid, and I was stupid, and I'm sorry. I really am."

He took another small step forward, closing the distance between them even further. "Can we please... start over? Try to be friends again?”

There was a moment of silence as Dandy studied Astro's face, searching for any hint of insincerity.

But all he saw was genuine remorse, vulnerability, and longing. And a part of him wanted to forgive, to mend the broken friendship.

Finally, he spoke, his voice a bit rough with emotion. "You really mean it, huh? You're not gonna push me away again?”

"No, I promise." Astro said, his eyes meeting Dandy's. "No more pushing you away, no more running. I want to fix things. I want us to be friends again. For real this time."

He paused, taking a deep breath. "I know I messed up before, but I've been thinking a lot about it, and I... I realized how much you mean to me. You're my best friend, and I've been an idiot for treating you like shit.”

Dandy was silent for another moment, studying Astro. Then a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face.

"You really hurt me, you know that?" He said, his tone still holding a hint of anger. "When you pushed me away, it... it really hurt. I thought I did something wrong."

Astro nodded, his expression remorseful. "I know. And I'm so sorry for making you feel like that. I never meant to hurt you. I was just..."

He trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"...Scared?" Dandy finished for him, his tone less harsh.

Astro nodded, feeling a lump forming in his throat. "Yeah... scared. Scared of confronting my feelings, of losing you. But in the end, I lost you anyway."

His voice cracked, the guilt and regret evident in his tone. "I'm so damn sorry, Dandy. I'm sorry for not being honest with you, for pushing you away, for being a jerk. Can you ever forgive me?”

Dandy's expression softened even more as he saw the genuine remorse in Astro's eyes.

He knew that Astro had been struggling, dealing with his own insecurities and fears. And although it hadn't justified his behavior, it made it a little easier to understand.

After a long moment of silence, he spoke up, his voice quieter than before. "..Do you want to hang out sometime?”

Astro's eyes widened in surprise, hope blooming in his heart. "Y-yeah, of course." he said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"When...?" He asked tentatively, not wanting to sound too eager. "We can hang out today, after school? Or tomorrow during lunch? Whenever you're free.”

Dandy chuckled at Astro's eagerness, the sound tinged with a hint of fondness. "Someone's excited."

He thought for a moment, considering their schedules. "How about we meet up after school today? Around 4? We can go to the park or something. Just... hang out.”

Astro's face broke into a wide smile, his eyes practically sparkling with happiness.

"Yeah, 4 sounds great." He said, trying to contain his excitement. "The park, yeah. We can hang out, talk... have a normal, friendly hangout session."

Astro chuckled, his tone filled with anticipation. "You know, like we used to before I messed everything up.”

Meanwhile, Vee had left school and was now in her car, about a block away from Shelly's house, trying to figure out how to apologize.

Vee gripped the steering wheel tightly, her fingers drumming an anxious rhythm against the leather. She had a mixture of feelings swirling inside her. Anxiety, guilt, determination. This was going to be tougher than she had anticipated.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Shelly deserved better than avoidance and silence. She deserved the truth.

As she drove closer to Shelly's house, Vee could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She'd been putting off this conversation for too long, unsure of how Shelly would react.

She parked the car on the curb, staring out the window at Shelly's house.

"You can do this." Vee mumbled to herself, "It's time to come clean.”

With one more deep breath to steady her nerves, Vee turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car. The cool air of evening greeted her as she walked towards Shelly's house, her heart still pounding in her chest.

The crunch of her shoes on the gravel drive echoed in the quiet street. With each step, the reality of what she was about to do sank further in.

The gate loomed in front of her, Shelly's home appearing just beyond.

"Here goes nothing." Vee murmured, taking out her phone.

With a shaky hand, Vee typed out a quick text to Shelly, letting her know that she was outside. The seconds between hitting send and waiting for a response felt like an eternity. Anxiety gnawed at her.

Finally, her phone vibrated. Vee's heart skipped a beat as she saw Shelly's reply.

"Come on in." The text read.

Vee exhaled a shaky breath, shoving the phone into her pocket. "Okay... this is it.”

Vee pushed open the gate and walked up the path leading to Shelly's house. With each step, her heart raced faster, the reality of the conversation ahead setting in.

She reached the front door and, taking one last steadying breath, rang the buzzer. The sound echoed through the quiet street, the noise seeming exaggeratedly loud to her nervous ears.

Then, she heard footsteps on the other side of the door. The lock clicked, and the door swung open, revealing Shelly.

Vee swallowed hard, suddenly at a loss for words. Shelly's familiar face and calm expression made her chest ache.

For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other in the doorway. Vee's heart was in her throat, her fingers fidgeting nervously at her sides.

Finally, she found her voice, her words tumbling out in a rush. "C-can I come in? We need to talk.”

Shelly stepped aside, allowing Vee to enter. The soft click of the door closing behind her sent a shiver down Vee's spine.

They were alone now. No more distractions, no more avoidance.

Vee looked around, her gaze lingering on familiar details. This place held so many memories. So many moments with Shelly.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Shelly, I…”

As the silence stretched on, Shelly studied Vee's face, seeing the mixture of anxiety and guilt in her expression. Her voice, when she spoke, was soft but firm.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked, her eyes searching Vee's face for some clue as to what was happening.

Vee flinched at the question. The directness of Shelly's tone was a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor. It made her feel even guiltier.

She fidgeted nervously, her fingers clenching and unclenching at her sides. The words stuck in her throat, her mind still a tangle of half-formed sentences and apologies.

After a long moment of silence, she finally managed to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I'm so sorry.. For not telling you about my project, and taking what you worked so hard for.. I wasn't thinking right, I was selfish–”

As she spoke, the words seemed to tumble out of her, a messy jumble of explanations and excuses. But one thing was clear in the midst of her rambling – genuine remorse.

Vee's eyes were fixed on Shelly's face, anxiously watching for any reaction, any sign that her words were being heard and understood.

When Shelly remained silent, her expression unreadable, Vee's anxiety skyrocketed. "Say something, please..." She blurted out, her voice trembling. "Please, I need – I need to know that you forgive me…”

The silence seemed to stretch on forever as Vee waited for Shelly's response. Her mind ran through a hundred different scenarios, each more desperate than the last.

Vee let out a sigh before speaking again, “Shelly, you are so smart.. And no one ever gives you enough credit for that. You deserve so much better than all of this shit.”

Shelly remained quiet for a moment, absorbing Vee's words. Her expression softened a bit, the anger in her eyes fading slightly. "You.. You really think so...?"

The vulnerability in Shelly's voice surprised Vee a little. It was a side of her she hadn't really seen often – the uncertain, insecure side that she usually hid so well.

"Of course I do." Vee said, her voice growing more confident. "You pour your heart and soul into everything you do. And it always gets overshadowed by everyone else."

She reached out tentatively, lightly touching Shelly's arm. "No one ever stops to appreciate what you do, and it... It pisses me off.”

"You're smart, and talented, and honestly way too good for any of us." Vee continued, feeling a pang of guilt as she spoke. "And I'm sorry for not realizing that sooner. I was stupid, and impulsive, and completely blind to how unfair it was to you…”

Shelly looked at her, her eyes softening even more. There was no anger or hurt in her gaze now, just a mixture of surprise and slight bewilderment.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she simply reached out and grabbed Vee's hand, her fingers closing around hers in a tentative grip.

Vee was taken aback by Shelly's gesture, her heart skipping a beat at the feel of Shelly's fingers intertwining with hers. She had expected anger, possibly even more yelling, but this... this was different.

Chapter Text

Cosmo was sitting in 3rd period, the class was just beginning to start. Normally, him and Sprout would goof off in 3rd period, but Sprout was out today so he was stuck by himself– being bored.

The teacher walked into the classroom with an unfamiliar student trailing behind her, “Okay, class. Today, we have a new transfer student. Would you like to introduce yourself?” The teacher asked.

The student nodded and began to speak, “Hi! I'm Yatta!” She greeted. She spoke loudly, but she seemed nice enough.

The classroom fell silent as Yatta introduced herself. The students, including Cosmo, watched her curiously. The loud but friendly tone of her voice stood out in the otherwise hushed classroom.

Cosmo studied her, taking in her appearance. She seemed friendly enough, if a bit wild, with her short, colorful hair and slightly baggy clothes.

The teacher nodded and gestured for Yatta to take a seat. Yatta scanned the room before noticing the empty seat next to Cosmo. She made her way over and sat down with a smile, dropping her bag on the floor next to her chair.

Cosmo eyed her from the corner of his eye as she settled into the seat beside him. He was used to the quiet company of Sprout during this time, but the arrival of a new student was a change of pace.

He glanced at Yatta, taking in her cheerful demeanor, and then back at the teacher, waiting for class to properly begin.

As the class progressed, the teacher droned on about various topics, but Cosmo found it increasingly difficult to pay attention. His gaze kept wandering back to Yatta, who seemed equally disinterested in the lesson.

He caught her doodling in her notebook instead of taking notes, her pen moving rapidly across the page in a flurry of quick lines.

Finally, the class ended, and the bell rang, signaling recess. The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed through the room as the students began to chatter and gather their things.

Cosmo turned to Yatta, watching as she stuffed her notebook into her bag. "So, your name's Yatta, right?" He asked, trying to start a conversation.

Yatta looked up, her attention shifting from her bag to Cosmo. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she nodded. "Yep! That's me." She said, her voice just as cheerful as earlier.

She swung her bag over her shoulder and grinned at him. Her energy was contagious, her smile almost infectious.

Cosmo couldn't help but smile back. There was something about Yatta's energy, her enthusiasm, that was appealing. It was a stark contrast to his usual reserved demeanor.

He leaned slightly towards her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "So, where did you transfer from?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

Yatta's smile widened at the question. She seemed happy that someone was actually showing an interest in her. "Oh, I'm from another district," She said, her voice still cheerful. "My family moved here recently, and this is my first day at this school."

She leaned a bit closer to Cosmo, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What about you? How long have you been here?”

Cosmo felt strangely comfortable talking to Yatta, despite only just meeting her. There was no judgment, no pressure, just straightforward conversation.

He shrugged, mulling over her question. "I've been here for my whole life." he replied, “It's not a bad place, but it can get boring at times.”

"No way! You've never traveled outside of this place?" Yatta asked, her voice filled with surprise. She looked at him in disbelief, as if the idea seemed strange to her.

Cosmo chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, never had the chance." He admitted, a slight hint of envy in his voice. "You've moved a lot, huh?"

At that, Yatta nodded, her smile growing wider. "Yup, all the time!" She exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious. "My parents are... well, a bit of adventurers, you could say.”

"Adventurers?" Cosmo echoed, his curiosity piqued by her choice of words. He had never met someone who considered their parents to be adventurers. "What do you mean by 'adventurers'?"

Yatta leaned in even closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she shared her tale. "They're archaeologists!" She exclaimed, her voice hushed but filled with pride. "They got hired around here, so we moved.”

Cosmo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Archaeologists? Like, the kind that finds ancient treasures and stuff?" He asked, genuinely impressed by her family's occupation.

Yatta beamed, nodding her head in agreement. "Yep, that's them! They're always off exploring ancient ruins, digging up historical sites," She explained, her hands animatedly gesturing with each sentence.

“Wow, you'd get along great with Shelly. She loves history.” Cosmo suggested.

Yatta seemed a little down by that revelation, “Well, yeah. I mean, if I'm honest I don't really like my parent's job that much.”

Cosmo couldn't help but feel a pang of surprise at Yatta's response. "What? How can you not love that type of job?" He asked, genuinely puzzled by her disinterest.

"I mean, exploring ancient places, discovering hidden treasures, going on adventures... It sounds like a dream." He leaned against his seat, his eyes studying her. "Most people would kill to be in your shoes.”

Yatta sighed, a hint of frustration in her voice. "Yeah, I know." She said, her tone suddenly less cheerful. "But it's not all fun and games, you know. It can be really lonely, always being on the move, never really settling down somewhere. Plus, my parents aren't exactly the most conventional parents. They're so immersed in their work that sometimes I feel like they forget I exist." She chuckled, but the laugh lacked any real joy, "I honestly just prefer stuff like performing.”

Cosmo listened intently, his expression shifting to one of understanding. He hadn't expected Yatta to reveal such a side to her life.

He tilted his head slightly, a mix of curiosity and concern in his voice. "Performing? Like singing or something?" He asked, leaning slightly toward her, giving her his full attention.

"Gymnastics." Yatta replied, her spirits seeming to lift a bit. A smile returned to her face as she talked about something she clearly enjoyed. "I love performing. It's like... it's like I get to be myself up there on stage. All those eyes on me, all that energy... It's amazing."

She let out a small sigh, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "But my parents don't really see the value in it. They think I should focus on something more 'serious' and 'practical'.”

Cosmo grimaced, feeling a pang of disappointment for her. "That's messed up." He muttered, shaking his head. "They should support whatever makes you happy, you know?"

He paused, studying her face for a moment. "You know, I bet you're pretty damn good at gymnastics. I mean, you look agile and– we should probably get to lunch.”

Yatta chuckled at Cosmo's last comment. "Haha, thanks." She replied, her smile widening at his compliment. "Yeah, let's head to lunch."

She stood up, picking her bag off the floor. With a swing of her arm, she slung it over her shoulder, the bag landing with a satisfying thump.

"Lead the way," She said, her eyes fixed on Cosmo with a grin. "Show me the way to lunch, Mr. Tour Guide.”

Cosmo couldn't help but feel a bit flustered under Yatta's gaze. Her charisma and playfulness made him slightly uncomfortable but also strangely intrigued.

He stood up as well, clearing his throat. "Right, uh, follow me."

He led the way out of the classroom, his steps a bit hesitant at first. But as they began to walk, he felt more at ease. He glanced over his shoulder at Yatta, noticing her energetic stride and the easy way she carried herself.

The hallways were starting to fill with other students heading toward the lunchroom. The noise level increased as more people mingled and chatted. Cosmo navigated through the crowd, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a few people watching Yatta, their gazes lingering on her as she walked. He raised an eyebrow, curious about the quiet attention she was receiving.

"You know," Cosmo began, trying to make conversation as they walked. "You're drawing a lot of attention."

He gestured subtly towards the people who were casting glances in Yatta's direction. "People seem to be... noticing you." He shrugged, his eyes flickering between Yatta and the staring students.

Yatta glanced around, casually taking in the stares as they passed by. She seemed unbothered by the attention, if not a bit amused.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," She said, her voice casual. "People are always curious about the new kid, right?"

She chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Or maybe they're just jealous of my killer fashion sense.”

Cosmo chuckled, her nonchalant attitude was contagious. "Maybe it's both." He replied with a shrug.

They reached the door to the cafeteria, the noise from within spilling out into the hallway. It was packed, like it usually was during lunch.

Cosmo held the door open for Yatta, gesturing for her to enter first. "After you.”

Yatta grinned, her eyebrows raising in pleasant surprise. "Such a gentleman." She teased as she walked through the door.

She looked around the crowded cafeteria, her eyes surveying the scene. The room was filled with tables and chatter, students mingling and enjoying their lunch.

"Thanks for showing me here, I gotta go find my friend now." She said, waving at him before practically running away.

Cosmo watched as Yatta practically sprinted across the room, searching for her friend. He chuckled to himself, her whirlwind energy still catching him off guard.

He spotted his usual group of friends sitting at a table near the back. He made his way towards them, his mind slightly preoccupied with thoughts about Yatta.

Yatta made her way over to the table she found her friend sitting at. He was sitting alone, but she didn't think much of it. “Hi, Looey!” She greeted.

Looey's eyes widened with surprise as Yatta approached him, but a wide smile quickly formed on his face.

"Yatta!" He exclaimed, his voice filled with warm familiarity. "There you are!"

He watched her approach and slide into the seat next to him. "What took you so long? You left me alone here forever." The tone of his voice suggested he was only half serious.

"Haha, sorry about that." Yatta replied, her smile not diminishing one bit. She patted his shoulder as if to say, 'don't worry about it'.

Looey sat up a bit straighter, his gaze fixed on Yatta. "So, where were you?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, ya know, just... exploring." Yatta replied nonchalantly, her grin growing wider.

Looey chuckled, shaking his head at her carefree attitude. "Of course, you were." He said, his tone teasing but affectionate. "You can't sit still for two seconds, can you?”

"Nope!" Yatta exclaimed cheerfully, popping the 'p' in a playful manner. "I have way too much energy to sit still. Plus, how else would I meet cool new people?"

She leaned back in her seat, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Speaking of new people, I met a guy named Cosmo. He's pretty nice.”

Looey raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He leaned closer, a curious glint in his eyes. "Cosmo, huh? I know him. He's a good guy. But he's also kind of reserved, usually keeps to himself.”

Yatta nodded, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Yeah, I noticed. He seemed a bit quiet at first. But I think he just needs some time to warm up to people."

Looey nodded briefly in response, and began picking at his food.

Yatta watched Looey quietly, sensing his slight change in mood. "Don't you have other friends to sit with?" She asked, her tone filled with concern. She placed a hand gently on his arm, a gesture of reassurance.

Looey glanced up, surprised by the concern in Yatta's voice. He was used to her cheerful energy, not this soothing side of her.

He shrugged, his expression a mix of resignation and acceptance. "They're all at different tables. It's fine, they come over sometimes." He tried to sound nonchalant, but his voice betrayed a hint of loneliness.

Yatta was perceptive, though. She could sense the loneliness in his words, even if he tried to conceal it. She leaned a bit closer, her gaze softening.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked, her voice low and gentle. "You seem a bit... I don't know, down or something.”

Looey let out a soft sigh, his shoulders drooping slightly. He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes fixed on the table.

"It's nothing, really..." He murmured, his voice betraying the lie. He didn't want to admit how much it bothered him, being alone most of the time.

Yatta studied his face, her heart clenching at his obvious attempt to downplay his feelings. She knew him too well to believe his lie.

"It's not nothing." she replied in a soft yet firm tone. "You don't have to pretend, you know. It's okay to feel lonely sometimes.”

Looey sighed and looked up at her, “Listen, I get that you're new and don't really understand the dynamic of this school.. But it isn't like our old school. Most people here either think I'm annoying or just don't care.”

Yatta was taken aback by Looey's sudden candor. She tilted her head, her eyes searching his face.

"So?" She questioned, her tone unwavering. "What does it matter what other people think? They're missing out if they don't like you. And if they think you're annoying, maybe they just can't handle how cool you are."

She nudged his arm with hers, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're a thousand times cooler than any of them, you know that, right?”

“You're probably lowering your reputation by being near me.”

Yatta let out an incredulous laugh, her face contorting into an amused expression. "Lowering my reputation? Seriously?"

She shook her head, her smile widening into a full grin. "Looey, do you really think I'm the type to care about reputation? Or what other people think? We're friends, right? And I'm sticking with you no matter what anyone says.”

She playfully flicked his forehead, her tone light but filled with sincerity. "So stop worrying about what other people think, alright? You're great, and they're just too dumb to see it. Their loss, not ours.”

Looey rubbed his forehead, wincing slightly at her flick, but a small smile appeared on his face. He looked at Yatta, her casual confidence and unwavering support melting away his frustration.

"You're impossible, you know that?" He said, half-teasing, half-grateful.

"Yep, it's one of my many charming qualities." Yatta replied smugly, her smile widening. "But seriously, don't let these people get to you. I mean, what do they know, anyway? They probably can't even do a backflip.”

Looey let out a snort that was a mix of amusement and agreement. Yatta's optimism was contagious, and her ability to brush off negativity was endearing.

He shook his head, a reluctant smile still on his face. "Fine, I'll try not to let them get to me. But only because you're so obnoxiously cheerful and annoyingly right all the time.”

As they were speaking, one of Looey's friends walked up to their table, “Hey, Looey. Hey, other one!”

Yatta turned around to greet the newcomer, her eyes scanning him briefly. He looked pretty normal, definitely someone Looey would befriend."

"Other one?" Yatta echoed, her eyebrow raising slightly. "I have a name, you know.”

The friend chuckled slightly at her response. "No, I didn't know that. What is your name?”

Yatta shot a glance at Looey, silently expecting him to fill in her name. But when he didn't, she rolled her eyes affectionately and extended her hand.

"I'm Yatta," she introduced herself with her usual cheerful tone. "And you are?”

The friend shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Yatta. I'm Goob!" he replied with a smile.

"Goob?" Yatta repeated, her tone filled with amusement. "That's an... interesting name." She looked at Looey questioningly, silently asking with a raise of her eyebrow, 'Is he serious?’

Looey shrugged, a hint of amusement in his eyes, as if he'd had similar reactions before. "It's a nickname.”

"A nickname?" Yatta echoed again, her curiosity piqued. "Well, now you have to tell me what it's a nickname for. You can't just drop a name like 'Goob' and expect me not to be curious.”

“It's a secret.” Looey revealed, Goob nodded.

Yatta's eyes widened, her interest piqued even more. "A secret nickname? Now I'm really intrigued." She leaned forward slightly in her seat, a curious gleam in her eyes. "Come on, you can't leave me hanging like that.”

“The only people that know his name are him and his older sister.” Looey shrugged.

Yatta raised an eyebrow, her curiosity only increasing. "His older sister, huh?" Her gaze shifted between Goob and Looey. "How mysterious... I love it."

She leaned back in her seat, a sly grin on her face. "But now I'm really invested in finding out what his real name is.”

Goob chuckled at Yatta's persistence, clearly amused. "I like you, you're funny.”

Yatta's smile widened into a grin at Goob's compliment. "Why thank you. I do aim to entertain." She said, her tone filled with mock-elegance.

Looey snickered at her theatrics, familiar with her antics. "You're being ridiculous again, you know that?”

After lunch, Looey and Yatta headed to their next class- Yearbook!

Yatta sat down right next to Looey, they sat behind Glisten and Vee.. Two people who tended to find Looey extremely annoying.

“Heyo!” Looey greeted, in his usual cheery voice.

“Looey, I am NOT dealing with you today-” Glisten started, then he turned around, “Who is that?”

Yatta, ever the extroverted one, flashed Glisten a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Yatta. It's nice to meet you!" she said, her voice cheerful and confident.

"Ohmigod, your hair is so cute!" Glisten replied.

"Thank you!" Yatta responded, her smile growing wider as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm new here, actually. Today's my first day."

Glisten leaned forward, his eyes widening in surprise. "Really? You don't seem nervous at all. Most new students are a nervous wreck on their first day.”

Yatta chuckled lightly, amused by Glisten's observation. "I guess I'm just not the nervous type." she replied, shrugging casually. "Besides, there's nothing to be nervous about. Everyone seems nice enough, right?"

Looey watched the exchange silently, a small smile playing on his lips. He was used to hearing that most people found him annoying, so the fact that Yatta was able to charm Glisten so easily was surprising, even to him.

Glisten continued to chat with Yatta, and eventually they were joined by some girls at desks nearby. They all seemed drawn to Yatta's friendly and confident demeanor.

Looey observed the scene, feeling a pang of unexpected loneliness. He'd never experienced this level of social ease before. While he was glad to see Yatta make friends, a small part of him felt confused.

Class began soon after, and Yatta's attention shifted to the teacher. However, her cheerful energy seemed to fill the room. As class went on, the girls at the desks around them kept stealing glances at Yatta, whispering to each other.

Looey could read the looks on their faces. They were intrigued by her too, curious about this new girl that was naturally attracting people like moths to a flame.

By the end of class, Yatta had accumulated a mini-fanclub of sorts. The girls all left the class together, chattering and laughing. Yatta made sure to wave farewell to Looey and Glisten before following them out.

Looey remained in his seat, a mix of feelings swirling inside. He was happy for Yatta, but couldn't help feeling a bit left behind in the wake of her effortless popularity.

As the day continued, more students seemed to talk about Yatta. Even teachers seemed smitten by her positive energy. It was as if her personality had cast a spell on the entire school.

During the next class, Looey sat by himself, silently observing the buzz about Yatta. He noticed some girls pointing at her, their voices hushed. They were clearly discussing her.

By lunchtime the next day, Yatta had become quite the celebrity. People from other classes seemed to know about her already, and word had spread quickly about this new girl who'd captured everyone's interest.

Looey waited by the lockers, watching as people passed by, chattering about Yatta. Some were intrigued, some were impressed. A few even looked a bit envious.

Yatta finally arrived, walking down the hall towards him. Despite the whispers and the gazes, she still walked with confidence and a smile on her face.

"Hey!" she greeted Looey, not seeming to notice or just ignoring the attention around her. "Ready for lunch?”

Looey froze for a moment, before speaking, “Oh, yeah.. I just remembered I, uh.. Promised to help out in the library during lunch- sorry.”

Yatta's smile dimmed a little, but she quickly masked it with an understanding nod. "Ahh, I see. Helping out in the library, huh?" she said, trying to sound supportive despite her slight disappointment. "No problem, I understand. We can meet up after, right?”

Looey nodded, a pang of guilt in his chest. He knew Yatta must've noticed his hesitation and the look on his face. He felt bad for lying, but the attention surrounding her was overwhelming.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, forcing a smile. "I'll see you after, okay?”

As Yatta walked away to the cafeteria, Looey slumped against the lockers, letting out a sigh. He knew it was a cowardly move, avoiding her like that. But he needed a break from the whirlwind of her popularity.

He'd been struggling to understand why her popularity bothered him so much. Was he... jealous? Jealous of Yatta's ability to charm everyone so easily? That thought only added to his guilt and confusion.

Throughout lunch, Looey busied himself in the solitude of the library. He worked diligently, organizing books and sorting through the stacks. Every so often, he'd glance out the window, catching glimpses of the students outside enjoying their lunches.

There weren't many students in the library, sometimes Dandy would be in there but during lunch he was busy selling his weird shit.

As the lunch period wore on, Looey found himself growing restless. He had hoped that spending time alone would help clear his head, but instead, his mind kept wandering to Yatta and the ever-growing buzz about her.

He tried to shake the thoughts away, focusing on his work. But the image of her, surrounded by her newfound friends and admirers, kept creeping into his mind.

Looey hated this feeling, he didn't want to be jealous of his friend.. But he wanted what she had.

Looey sighed, his hands pausing in their task as he let the guilt wash over him. He knew he was being unfair to Yatta. It wasn't her fault that people were drawn to her.

Yet, the gnawing feeling of envy wouldn't go away. He wished he could be popular like her, effortlessly charming people with a smile.

He tried to distract himself with the tasks at hand, but the thoughts kept creeping back. He couldn't help but compare himself to Yatta. She seemed so confident, so certain of herself and her worth.

And what was he... Just a loner who was always overshadowed by better, more popular people. The thought stung, and he clenched his fists in frustration. He really needed someone to just talk to…

With a frustrated sigh, Looey gave up on the task at hand and leaned against the shelves, his head bowed.

He missed the easy conversations he used to have with Yatta. He hated this awkward, jealous feeling that had come between them. He missed hanging out with her without feeling insecure.

"What's wrong with me...?" he mumbled to himself, his voice echoing softly in the silence of the library.

The rest of lunch passed slowly, but finally the bell rang. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized his time in the library would come to an end.

As he tidied up the last few books, a thought struck him. Maybe he could talk to Yatta after lunch. Apologize for being distant, maybe?

He shook his head, sighing. No, not now. He wasn't in the right mindset yet. He needed some time to figure out his own thoughts and feelings first... He knew who he needed to talk to.

“Hey, U busy?”

That was all the text said. As soon as he hit send, an immediate response came in.

“Nope, not at all! What's up?”

He let out a small sigh of relief, as his other half was always up for a chat, no matter how silly or trivial the problem was.

“Can I come over after school?” He typed back.

“Sure!” was the immediate answer, followed by the usual address, even though they'd been to each other's houses countless times before.

Looey put away his phone, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He always felt better talking to his other half.

He finished up the last of the tasks in the library and bid farewell to the librarian on duty before finally escaping out into the hallway.

As he headed to his next class, his mind felt a little lighter. He now had an outlet for his tangled thoughts, and the thought of getting things off his chest was a comfort.

Class went by quickly, though he found himself glancing at the clock more often than usual. The bell couldn't ring soon enough.

“So, what's wrong, exactly?” His boyfriend asked.

They were both sitting on his bed, Looey was eating a pack of goldfish because what the hell else do teenagers do after school? I don't fucking know?? I'M THE NARRATOR WHY ARE YOU FUCKING ASKING ME??

Looey leaned against the headboard, eating a fistful of goldfish before responding with a sigh. "It's just..." He paused, searching for the right words to express the mess in his mind.

"It's about Yatta," he confessed, his voice low and a bit sheepish. "She's suddenly become the center of attention at school. Everyone's buzzing about her, like she's some new celebrity or something."

He set the goldfish down, his fingers idly picking at the bedspread.

"Ew, don't get cheese dust on my sheets." He swatted his hand off.

"Rudie, I'm venting here.”

His boyfriend rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance at the swatting. "Alright, alright, vent away," he said, settling back against the pillows. He could already sense that there was more to it than just Yatta's newfound popularity; there was something deeper bothering Looey.

"I didn't think Yatta went to your school?" he asked casually, waiting patiently for Looey to continue.

The thing about Rudie was that he'd been homeschooled all of high school, he went to middle school with both Yatta and Looey before switching. But, he got his fair share of gossip from Looey usually.

Looey nodded, knowing Rudie would have some context to the situation even if he wasn't directly involved. He continued, trying to find the right words.

"Well, she transferred to my school this week, and suddenly everyone's all over her. It's like she walks into a room, and people just... gravitate towards her."

His mouth twisted slightly, a hint of envy in his voice. "She's just naturally charming, you know? People are drawn to her energy. It's like she's a magnet, and I'm just....”

"I'm just... well, just me," Looey said, slumping down on the bed and resting his head on a pillow. "I try my best to be funny, and everyone finds it annoying.. But when she does it.."

His voice was tinged with a hint of bitterness. "Sometimes I feel like everyone in that school hates me. Last week, Shrimpo threw a fucking thumbtack at me!" His voice trailed off, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"And then there's Yatta," he continued, his voice laced with a mix of admiration and frustration. "She comes into the school, and immediately everyone adores her. People even talk about her during lunch, like she's some celebrity or something."

He paused, his hand idly playing with the edge of the pillow. "I mean, I'm happy for her... but at the same time... it's like, just a week ago, everyone found me annoying, and now everyone's like 'Yatta this, Yatta that, Yatta's so amazing.'..”

"And she doesn't even have to try or anything," he added, his tone a blend of jealousy and helplessness. "She just smiles, and bam, everyone loves her. It's like she's a goddamn beacon of charisma, and people are just moths drawn to her flame."

He let out a small, bitter chuckle. "It's like, what the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I be like that? Why can't I just..." He paused, his voice lowering to almost a whisper. "Why can't I just be popular…”

His boyfriend observed Looey's expression, sensing the deep-rooted insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. He knew how hard it had always been for Looey to feel accepted by others.

He reached out, gently placing a hand on Looey's arm. "Looey..." he began, his voice soft and understanding. "You're comparing yourself to her, but you shouldn't. You both have your own strengths and weaknesses.”

"I know," Looey groaned, his voice muffled by the pillow. "I know it's stupid to compare myself to her. But it's hard not to, you know? Especially when everyone else in that damn school seems to worship her."

He shifted on the bed, rolling over onto his back. "Ugh, I hate feeling like this. I hate being resentful. I hate being jealous. But it's like... every time I see her, I just..." He trailed off, his eyes fixated on the ceiling.

"There's just this big, ugly part of me that's like, 'why can't that be me?' I mean, I try to be nice to people, but no one cares. Yatta comes in, and suddenly everyone's obsessed with her."

He let out another sigh, his voice tinged with frustration. "I just wish I could be more like her. Confident, charismatic, popular. People adore her so easily... and I can't help but envy her for it, even though I know I shouldn't.”

His voice dropped lower, a hint of vulnerability seeping in. "I guess it just makes me feel... inadequate, you know? Like I'm always going to be stuck in the background, while she's off being the center of attention or something..."

He closed his eyes, his voice soft. "And then I feel even worse for even being jealous of her in the first place. She's my friend, and I'm supposed to be happy for her... but it's just so damn hard when it feels like the whole world is in love with her…”

There was a moment of silence, the only sound in the room was the occasional rustling of the bedsheets. Looey's mind was a chaotic tangle of feelings, a mix of jealousy, admiration, and self-doubt.

He turned his head to look at Rudie, the frustration still evident in his eyes. "I'm an awful friend, aren't I? I'm supposed to be happy for her, and here I am being all petty and jealous..." his voice trailed off again.

Rudie sighed and brushed his boyfriend's hair out of his face, “I wish you saw yourself the way I see you.”

Rudie's fingers gently continued to play with Looey's hair, his touch soft and comforting. "I see someone who's kind, funny, and loyal," he began, his voice steady and sincere.

"You're the kind of person who genuinely cares about others and always tries to make people happy. But on the inside, there's this part of you that keeps telling you you're not good enough. But you are enough, Looey. You're more than enough.”

Looey's eyes softened as he listened to Rudie's words, his heart filling with a mixture of gratitude and insecurity. The words were like a soothing balm to his bruised ego, but the nagging doubts still lingered in the back of his mind.

He let out a soft sigh, "But what about Yatta... she's so... so..." He struggled to articulate his feelings. "She's just so effortlessly charming, like she naturally attracts attention even just by being there, and everyone's captivated by her, even if she doesn't try…”

"And I feel like a total dud next to her," he continued, his voice laced with a hint of self-deprecation. "I mean, I try so damn hard to be likeable, to crack jokes and be funny, but it just doesn't seem to work for me. People just find me annoying or weird or something."

He let out a bitter chuckle, his fingers picking at the bedspread again. "It's like I'm destined to be the 'funny, but not funny enough' guy, while she's the 'cool, charming one' everyone adores…”

He paused for a moment, a mixture of emotions swirling in his mind. "And the worst part is, I know it's not her fault. She's not doing anything wrong. She's just being herself, and people love her for it. But I can't help but feel this stupid... jealousy. It's like there's a part of me that wishes I could be as effortlessly popular as she is…”

He closed his eyes, the weight of his feelings pressing down on him. "I hate feeling like this," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I hate feeling so... inadequate. And I hate that I can't just be happy for her. I know it makes me look really petty and immature, but... it's how I feel."

The last part came out almost like a helpless, strangled admission, as if the words were dragged out from a dark, hidden place within him.

His fingers gripped the bedspread tighter, the material crunching in his hands. "I don't know," he mumbled, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and despair. "I just wish I could be... well, more. More like Yatta, more popular, more everything."

He let out a bitter chuckle. "God, now I really do sound like a teenage drama queen, huh?" He opened his eyes, looking at Rudie again, a hint of resignation in his gaze.

Rudie chuckled softly, his fingers still playing with Looey's hair. "Yeah, you do sound a tiny bit dramatic," he teased, his voice gentle.

He paused for a moment, his expression becoming more serious. "But, Looey, can I ask you something?”

Looey nodded, taking in Rudie's serious tone. "Sure, anything," he replied, his eyes meeting Rudie's. He knew when Rudie was about to get serious; there was a certain look in his eyes that gave it away.

He braced himself for the question, his fingers unconsciously clenching the bedspread again.

Rudie paused, his fingers still tangled in Looey's hair. He seemed to be weighing his words carefully. "You said you wished you could be more like Yatta, more popular and everything. But... have you ever thought about why you want to be more popular? What does being 'more popular' bring you?"

He continued, his voice soft but firm. "Because I think you focus so much on wanting to be like her, without really considering why.”

Looey let out a deep sigh as Rudie's words sunk in. He had never really thought about the reason behind his desire for popularity. It was just something he wanted, something he felt he was missing.

He closed his eyes again, his mind racing as he pondered on Rudie's question. "I don't know," he mumbled, his voice laced with uncertainty. "I guess I just... I just want to be... accepted? I want people to like me, to see me as more than just some weird, annoying kid.”

He opened his eyes again, looking up at Rudie. "I want to be seen as... I don't know, cool or something. I want people to look at me and think, 'He's someone worth knowing.' Instead of, 'Oh god, there goes that weirdo again.'"

His voice trailed off as he realized how pathetic he sounded. "God, it sounds so stupid when I say it out loud," he mumbled, a hint of resignation in his voice.

Rudie's fingers continued to gently caress Looey's hair, his touch soothing and supportive. "It's not stupid," he reassured him. "It's normal to want to be accepted, to be seen and appreciated."

He paused, his voice taking on a firmer tone again. "But Looey, the truth is, wanting to be popular or 'cool' won't make you happy. It might give you a temporary sense of acceptance, but it won't fulfill you the way you think it will.”

Rudie's words echoed in Looey's mind, their wisdom sinking in. He knew Rudie was right, but it was hard to let go of the desire for popularity. For so long, he had felt like an outsider, a misfit, and he wanted desperately to change that. But hearing Rudie's perspective made him realize that maybe he had been going about it the wrong way all along.

"So maybe you should, like," Rudie continued, his voice softer now. "Just stick to the friends you have. I know you still have a couple.”

Looey let out another deep sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He knew Rudie was referring to their small group of friends, the ones who had stuck with him even through the most awkward phases. "I just... I just wish it was easier, I guess," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of self-pity.

"And hey," Rudie added, a soft smile returning to his lips. "Maybe you shouldn't even listen to me, I don't know shit about high school.”

A chuckle escaped Looey, the lighthearted comment easing the tension a bit. He looked up at Rudie, a flicker of a smile on his face. "You're probably right, you are homeschooled, after all," he teased, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "What do you know about high school drama anyway?”

Rudie feigned offense, pretending to be hurt by the comment. "Excuse me, I'll have you know that I've watched a good number of teen movies. I'm practically an expert in high school drama now," he joked, rolling his eyes dramatically.

The comment made Looey chuckles again, his mood visibly lifting. "Oh, right, because Hollywood is known for its accurate and realistic portrayal of high school life," he responded, a sarcastic lilt to his voice, "The popular girls are totally getting hit with buses like every week.”

Rudie shot back with a grin, "Hey, that's just a dramatic device. And don't forget about the random sports games that suddenly decide the social hierarchy of the entire school. And all the spontaneous choreographed dances in the cafeteria…”

Looey laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "No more High School Musical for you.”

Looey sat at his desk, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination. He had spent the previous night contemplating his conversation with Rudie, and he'd come to a decision. He was done chasing popularity. It wasn't worth the toll it was taking on his self-esteem.

He looked around at the other students in the classroom, many of them huddled in small groups and chatting animatedly. He found himself envious of the ease with which they interacted, but he quickly pushed the feeling down.

“Hi Looey!” Yatta waved as she walked into the class and sat down in the desk next to him.

Looey's eyes widened in surprise for a moment as Yatta waved at him and sat down beside him. He'd been lost in his thoughts, so he hadn't noticed her approach. He quickly composed himself, plastering on a small smile.

"Hey, Yatta," he replied, his voice a bit hesitant. "What's up?”

He turned to face her, watching as she got settled in her seat. He'd spent so much time comparing himself to her, but now, looking at her carefree smile, he felt a pang of guilt. She had no idea how she was affecting him, and she certainly didn't mean any harm. Yatta was just being herself, and it was unfair of him to resent her for it.

Looey forced himself to push his insecurities aside. He wouldn't let his jealousy win this time. "You're in a good mood today," he commented, keeping his tone light. "Did something good happen?”

“So like, I joined the art club.” She started, “And there's this girl in there, and she's super cool and stuff.”

“Oh, yeah you've always been more of the artsy type so I figured.” He shrugged.

“Anyways, how've you been? I know I've been busy getting used to this school so, you must be bored out of your mind without me!” Yatta replied, her tone of voice showing that it was a joke.

Looey rolled his eyes and smiled, “I spent the entirety of last year without you.”

“And it must've been boring.” She said again.

“Eh. So-so.” He tilted his hand a bit as he spoke.

During lunch time, he and Yatta sat at their usual table. There weren't many people watching her anymore since they'd gotten used to her presence.

“Hey, guys!” Good greeted as he sat down, “I saw a frog today.”

“Ooh, what kind of frog?” Yatta asked, her interest peaking.

“There's different kinds?” Good replied, clearly a bit stunned.

“Of course there is,” Another guy sat down at the table, “Different kinds live in different places. Frogs are one of few creatures that live on both land and water.” He explained.

“Thanks, Finn.” Goob said, before continuing, “Anyways, it was green.”

“That doesn't exactly narrow it down.” Looey added.

“No one fucking cares.” Shrimpo declared as he sat down next to Finn.

Looey rolled his eyes at Shrimpo's blunt comment. He'd never quite understood why Shrimpo bothered to sit with them at all; he always seemed pissed off and uninterested in any conversation.

He glanced at Yatta, who was busy asking Goob more questions about his frog spotting. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at how easily she could engage in conversation with the others.

Looey didn't fully understand why, but after he stop focusing on jealousy, he felt a lot more at peace.

Chapter Text

Lunchtime! Which means Sprout and Cosmo are running the food stand! The other helpers were busy so it was just the 2 of them, they didn't mind, they were best friends after all.

“Are we out of chocolate chip already?” Cosmo asked, holding a clipboard that showed their stock at the beginning of lunch.

“Seems like it.” Sprout shrugged, “It's our most popular item.”

As the lunchtime rush began, a line of students formed at the food stand. Sprout and Cosmo worked as smoothly as always, each expertly fulfilling orders and taking money.

Sprout checked the clipboard again, noticing that the chocolate chip cookies were indeed almost gone. "Wow, we're really selling out fast today," he commented to Cosmo as they continued serving.

"Maybe we should've made more," Cosmo chuckled, carefully packing a sugar cookie into a bag for the next customer. "But hey, at least we know what people like. We'll have to keep that in mind for next time, eh?”

A few students groaned when they heard that the chocolate chip cookies were gone, disappointment on their faces. Sprout and Cosmo exchanged amused glances, knowing full well that the cookies were a fan favorite.

"No need to worry, folks," Sprout reassured them with a smile. "We'll make sure to have extra the next time! For now, how about trying some of our other delicious treats?”

It wasn't long til they completely sold out of snacks. Both the boys let out a reliever sigh, happy to rest for a moment.

Sprout reached into his bag and pulled out a plastic container, “Hey, want some mooncake?

“Hell yeah.” The smaller boy replied.

Sprout chuckled at Cosmo's enthusiasm, carefully dividing the mooncakes between them. The sweet aroma of lotus paste wafted from the container as he opened it, making their mouths water.

"You always devour these," Sprout teased, handing a mooncake to his friend. "I don't know where you put everything.”

"Hey, I have a fast metabolism!" Cosmo retorted, taking a bite of the mooncake. His eyes widened at the taste, a satisfied hum escaping his lips.

Sprout grinned, watching him enjoy the treat. "You keep telling yourself that, buddy.”

As they savored the mooncake, a few other club members stopped by to check in on the food stand. They chatted idly, discussing the day's events and planning for future offerings.

Sprout glanced at his watch, noting the time. "Lunch is almost over," he mentioned to Cosmo, who quickly finished his mooncake.

"Right, we should start cleaning up," Sprout continued, taking the empty containers and packing them away. "Thanks for the help today.”

“No problem.” Cosmo raised his hand for a high five.

Sprout quickly reciprocated. As their hands touched, their matching friendship charms clinked together slightly, getting a giggle out of Cosmo.

Sprout couldn't understand why, but everytime he heard his friend laugh his stomach got all fluttery.

He forced himself to smile, hoping Cosmo wouldn't notice how flustered he suddenly felt. "You're such a dork," he teased, lightly shoving his shoulder.

Cosmo chuckled, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil Sprout was experiencing. "Eh, you love it."

Sprout's cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the comment. He quickly busied himself with cleaning up the stand, trying to will away the strange fluttering in his stomach.

"Shut up," he mumbled, pretending to be focused on the task at hand.

Thankfully, their other club members soon distracted them with more chatter, giving Sprout a chance to recover. He silently chastised himself for his weird reaction.

"Should we start tallying up the earnings for the day?" one of the club members asked.

Sprout snapped out of his thoughts, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, let's do that."

He took out a notebook and began jotting down the day's sales, trying to focus solely on the numbers and not the warmth still lingering in his chest.

Once they were done, he immediately went to the bathroom and called Astro.

Sprout locked himself in one of the bathroom stalls, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. His heart was still pounding.

He dialed Astro's number, anxiously drumming his fingers against the wall.

"Hey," he spoke, trying to sound normal. "Are you busy right now?”

Astro's voice came through on the other end, and the familiar sound immediately soothed Sprout's nerves slightly.

"Hey," Astro greeted, picking up on Sprout's slightly uneasy tone. "Everything alright?”

Sprout leaned his back against the bathroom wall, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," he replied, though it was clear there was something on his mind. "Just needed to talk to you about something real quick. Come to the C-hall bathroom.'”

"Alright, I'll be there in a sec," Astro replied, curious about what Sprout wanted to talk about.

A moment later, he pushed open the door to the C-hall bathroom and spotted Sprout standing by the sink.

"Hey," he greeted again, walking over to him. "What's up?”

Sprout fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, hesitating for a moment. He took another deep breath before finally speaking, his voice quieter than usual.

"It's just... something weird happened today during lunch." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I don't know, I just... I felt this fluttery feeling in my stomach when we were talking with Cosmo, and—"

He stopped mid-sentence, feeling ridiculous even saying it out loud.

"I think I'm in love with him.”

Astro's eyes widened, "Oh, woooow.. I never thought-"

"You knew, didn't you?"

"It is insanely obvious.'”

Sprout's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as Astro chuckled. "Great. Just great," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Okay, so it's obvious. But what am I supposed to do about it? I can't just... confess to him."

The thought made his heart race, and his stomach felt all funny again.

"I mean, what if he doesn't feel the same way?" he continued, his voice filled with uncertainty. "What if he laughs at me, or worse, what if it completely ruins our friendship?"

He leaned back against the sink, his shoulders slumping. "I don't want to risk losing him as a friend, but I can't keep hiding this feeling much longer either.”

“Hey,” Astro spoke, “Homecoming is in 2 weeks, maybe you should ask him to the dance.”

Sprout's eyes widened at the suggestion, a mix of surprise and nerves flooding through him.

"The dance? Isn't that a bit too cliché?" he asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

He fidgeted with a stray string on his shirt, his mind racing with the possibilities. "I don't know how I'd even ask him. And what if he says no?”

"What if he rejects me?" Sprout's voice trembled, his doubts seeping through.

He clenched his fists, fighting back the wave of fear that washed over him. The thought of being rejected by Cosmo, of losing the bond they shared... it was almost too much to bear.

"What if I lose him as a friend?" he repeated, the words filled with an unspoken plea for reassurance.

Astro placed a comforting hand on Sprout's shoulder, sensing his turmoil. "Hey, hey, relax," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Take a deep breath, okay?”

Sprout obeyed, taking a shaky breath and exhaling slowly. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of his own breathing. After a few moments, he felt his racing heart begin to slow.

Astro gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "That's it. Just breathe. You're overthinking it. Cosmo's your best friend, and he cares about you. He won't just ditch you because you ask him to a dance.”

Sprout nodded slowly, the rational part of him knowing Astro was right. He opened his eyes and met his gaze, the tension in his shoulders visibly easing.

"You're right," he agreed, his voice steadier now. "I'm overthinking it. And Cosmo... he wouldn't just drop me as a friend like that."

He ran a hand through his hair, a mix of determination and anxiety on his face. "Okay. I'll... I'll ask him. To the dance.”

Astro smiled, pleased to see Sprout's resolve. "Good," he affirmed, giving Sprout's shoulder a reassuring pat. "And I got Xanax if you want some."

"Astro, what the actual fuck.”

“You'd be surprised by the amount of over the counter drugs and prescription drugs Dandy finds around this school.”

(AUTHORS NOTE: Don't take Xanax unless it is prescribed to you, and only take the recommended amount prescribed. This is purely fiction and I thought this part was funny. Don't do drugs.)

Sprout let out a sigh, rubbing his temples in mock exasperation. "Oh wow, I'm so comforted to know that my friend has access to an illegal pharmacy run by my cousin.”

After school, Sprout drove hope and parked in his spot. Being on the rich side of town, his house was pretty big. He stepped up onto the marble steps, passing the multicolored flower beds lining their estate. He took his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

As Sprout entered his upscale home, he was greeted by the familiar atmosphere. The spacious foyer opened up into a grand living area, decorated with elegant furniture and lush plants. The sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow across the polished wood floors. The only people around were the housekeepers, he could see them tidying up the place. His parents were probably busy at the bakery, while his sister was still walking home.

(I gave Sprout a sister for my own entertainment.)

Sprout walked into the kitchen, craving a snack. The large kitchen was pristine and modern, with white marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. He opened the fridge, scanning the contents for something delicious.

As he was contemplating between grabbing an apple or a peach, he noticed a note left on the kitchen island. He picked it up, recognizing his mother's neat handwriting.

“Sprout,
Remember to pick up our stock after
Maisie gets home. Here's a list of everything.
-Mami”

Sprout scanned the note, his eyes landing on the list of ingredients. He grimaced slightly, realizing that it was a pretty lengthy one.

"Great," he mumbled under his breath. "Looks like I'm going grocery shopping today."

He put the list down, closing the fridge door. He'd have to wait until his sister Maisie came home. In the meantime, he wandered off to his room.

In Sprout's spacious bedroom, the afternoon light streamed through the windows, casting a warm golden hue. The room was neatly organized, with a few knickknacks and plants scattered around.

Sprout flopped onto his bed, stretching out with a groan. The idea of having to drag his sister along on the grocery trip was less than appealing. He knew she would probably complain the whole time, and try to sneak in extra snacks.

He stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts wandering to the upcoming dance. A small wave of nervosity washed over him.

He pictured himself asking Cosmo to the dance, the uncertainty making his stomach flutter. A part of him was still wary, afraid of the potential consequences.

He got up from his bed and walked over to the full-length mirror in his room.

Sprout stared at his reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing his appearance. He was fairly tall. His red hair was a bit messy from the day. He ran a hand through it, trying to tame the unruly strands. His amber skin was a bit dirty from PE, which he hated.

He turned sideways, examining his profile. "Maybe I should change my hairstyle or something..." he mused, fidgeting with his hair again, before fixing his glasses.

Sprout continued to examine himself in the mirror. He had never paid too much attention to his appearance before, but now he found himself contemplating every detail.

He was average-looking, he thought. Maybe a bit plain. He wasn't sure if Cosmo even found him attractive.

The thought made his stomach flip again, and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of these doubts. He glanced at his phone, checking the time.

It was almost time for Maisie to arrive home. Sprout decided to head downstairs and wait for her. A part of him dreaded her teasing. She had an uncanny ability to detect when he was distracted or flustered, and she wouldn't hesitate to poke fun at him for it.

He descended the stairs leading to the ground floor, each step echoing faintly. Reaching the foyer, he leaned against the wall near the door, patiently waiting for his sister.

A few minutes later, the front door swung open, and Maisie walked in, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Sup, loser," she greeted, her tone slightly mocking. She was literally 7 years younger than him, but she had always been quick to tease him.

Sprout rolled his eyes, pretending to look unfazed by her greeting. "Hey, brat," he retorted, his voice tinged with faux nonchalance.

Maisie stuck her tongue out at him, heading toward the kitchen. Sprout followed her, his expression slightly amused.

She dropped her bag on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island and began scrolling through her phone.

He leaned on the countertop opposite her, watching her for a moment. She was the spitting image of their mother: same auburn hair and hazel eyes, with a sprinkling of freckles on her cheeks.

He chuckled, shaking his head at her response. "Cool, hm? Whatever you say, kiddo."

He decided to change the subject, clearing his throat. "Oh, by the way," he began, his tone shifting. "Mami left a list for us. We gotta go grab the ingredients for the bakery.”

Maisie's expression soured as soon as he mentioned the list. She let out a dramatic groan, rolling her eyes.

"Ugh, I hate grocery shopping," she complained, stuffing her phone back into her pocket.

Sprout couldn't help but smirk, amused by her dramatic reaction. "Yeah, I know. You complain every damn time. But it's gotta get done.”

Maisie grumbled under her breath, her nose crinkling in annoyance. "Why can't we just order delivery like normal people, ughhh..."

Sprout stifled a laugh, shaking his head at her. "If you don't annoy me I'll buy bubble tea.”

Her expression immediately changed at the mention of bubble tea. She perked up, a sparkle in her eyes. "Really? Any flavor?"

Sprout chuckled, knowing he had her now. "Yeah, any flavor. But you gotta be good and help me with the groceries without complaining."

She thought for a moment, the temptation of bubble tea winning over her reluctance to grocery shop. "Finee," she relented, a hint of a grin on her face.

He smirked, knowing he had successfully bribed her. "Good choice," he said, pushing himself away from the countertop. "Now c'mon, let's go."

He headed towards the door, knowing she would follow. Maisie grabbed her phone, shoving it into her pocket before trailing after him.

They got into Sprout's car, and he started the engine. The drive to the grocery store was relatively short, filled with Maisie's incessant chatter about random things.

They progressively got each and every item on the list, mostly without issue. Eventually Sprout spotted some hair dye, and an idea formed in his head.

“Mais, can you go find the cupcake holders?” He asked.

Maisie made a face, clearly uninterested in the task. "Do I have to? Can't you do it?"

Sprout rolled his eyes, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Just go get the holders. I'll be here in the meantime."

She huffed, giving him an irritated look before reluctantly walking off to find the cupcake holders.

Sprout waited until she was out of sight before quickly grabbing a box of red hair dye from the shelf.

Sprout was naturally ginger, so it would be fairly easy to dye.

He then decided to go an extra step and grab some green, maybe this idea was insane but.. Hey, kids gotta rebel sometimes.

After quickly paying for the dye and storing it in his bag, he found Maisie standing by a display of cupcake holders, scrolling through her phone.

Sprout joined her, trying to act nonchalant. "You find them?" he asked, keeping his cool.

She held up a box of colorful cupcake holders. "Yeah, here they are."

He nodded, relieved that she didn't ask about the dye. "Let's go pay then," he said, guiding her towards the checkout.

After paying for the groceries, Sprout and Maisie loaded the bags into the car. Sprout discreetly stashed the box of dye in the back, making sure Maisie didn't notice.

She climbed into the passenger seat, putting on her seatbelt. "Can we go get bubble tea now?" she asked, sounding impatient.

Sprout chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, we'll get you your bubble tea."

He started the engine and began driving towards the nearest bubble tea shop.

A couple hours later, Sprout was standing in his bathroom with 2 boxes of hair dye. He knew it was too risky to do it here, someone would definitely catch him. So, he made a phone call.

“Cosmo, can you help me with something?”

“Yeah, ‘course.”

About 30 minutes later, he was at Cosmo's house.

The door to Cosmo's house opened a moment after Sprout knocked. Cosmo greeted him with a curious expression. "Hey, what's up? You sounded kinda cryptic on the phone.”

Sprout gave a nervous smile, feeling a flutter of anxiety in his stomach. "Hey," he greeted back, stepping into the house. "Yeah, sorry about that... I just needed some help with something."

He glanced around the hallway, making sure no one else was within earshot. Once he was sure they were alone, he turned back to Cosmo. "Can we talk in your room?”

Cosmo nodded, a hint of concern on his face. "Yeah, sure." He led the way to his bedroom, motioning for Sprout to come inside.

Once they were behind closed doors, he turned to Sprout. "Okay, what's going on?”

Sprout let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, this is gonna sound really random, but hear me out," he began, his tone slightly nervous.

He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I, uhh, well, I kinda had this idea... I want to..." He stopped again, not quite finding the right words.

Cosmo quirked an eyebrow, looking puzzled but curious. "Want to what? Just spit it out, dude."

Sprout took another deep breath, bracing himself. "I want to dye my hair," he finally managed to say, watching Cosmo's reaction.

Cosmo's expression shifted from puzzled to surprised. "You want to dye your hair? That's a bit random."

He gave Sprout a once-over, his eyes lingering on his red hair. "Why? Your hair's already pretty cool. Unless you're going full emo or something.”

Sprout gave an awkward laugh, feeling a bit silly. "Nah, not going emo," he replied, shaking his head. "I just thought it'd be cool to, you know, change things up a bit."

He paused, gathering his courage. "And, uh, I actually need your help."

He held up the box of hair dye, showing it to Cosmo.

Cosmo's eyes widened as he saw the dye box. "Oh, wow," he said, his voice a mix of surprise and curiosity. "You're really going through with it, huh?"

He looked at Sprout, studying his expression closely. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, hair dye is kinda hard to undo once it's done.”

Sprout nodded, his resolve strengthening. "Yeah, I'm sure," he affirmed, his tone confident. "I really want to do this. And I want you to help me."

He met Cosmo's gaze, his voice growing softer. "Please, Cosmo. I trust you.”

Cosmo studied Sprout for a moment longer before finally nodding. "Alright," he relented, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'll help you dye your hair."

There was a hint of excitement in his voice, as if a small part of him was secretly thrilled by the idea of doing something a bit reckless.

Cosmo took the box, examining the hair dye before looking back at Sprout. "Yeah, but before we start, do you have any particular color in mind? Or are we just winging it?" he asked, a slight smirk on his face.

Sprout chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, I know exactly what colors I want," he affirmed, a determined look in his eyes.

He pointed to the box in Cosmo's hand. "I bought two boxes, actually: red and green," he explained. "I want to dye my hair red, and my bangs green. You know, mix things up a bit.”

Cosmo raised his eyebrows, intrigued by the idea. "Red and green, huh?" he mused, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That's quite the bold choice. I can already imagine how it will look. You'll stand out for sure."

He looked at Sprout, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "And your parents won't throw a fit when they see it, right?”

Sprout shrugged, a hint of defiance in his eyes. "Eh, they might have something to say about it," he admitted, not seeming too concerned.

"But it's my hair, right?" he continued, a sly smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "They'll just have to deal with it.”

Cosmo chuckled at Sprout's defiant attitude. "Damn, you're going all out, huh? I'm kinda enjoying this rebellious side of you," he teased. "Who knew you had it in you?"

He looked at the hair dye again, a mixture of excitement and curiosity on his face. "So, you really want both red and green, huh? Let's do this then. But let me warn you, it's gonna look crazy.”

Sprout grinned, excitement coursing through his veins. "Crazy is exactly what I'm going for," he confirmed, his eyes sparkling.

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was about to transpire. "Alright, let's do this. I'm ready."

He looked at Cosmo, a mix of anticipation and nervousness in his gaze. "Just promise me you won't mess it up too much, alright?" he asked, half-joking..

Cosmo laughed at Sprout's partly jesting remark. "Hey, have some faith in me," he retorted, feigning offense. "I'll make sure your hair turns out awesome. I have a steady hand, I promise."

He opened the first box and took out the bottle of red dye, pouring the vibrant liquid into a bowl. "Sit down," he instructed, gesturing towards a chair in the middle of the room.

Sprout obeyed, taking a seat in the chair. He watched as Cosmo prepared the hair dye, his excitement and nerves growing with every passing moment.

He couldn't believe he was actually about to dye his hair, let alone in such a bold way. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.

"I can't wait to see how it looks," he finally said, a mixture of eagerness and slight trepidation in his voice.

Cosmo chuckled, amused by Sprout's enthusiasm. "Patience, my friend," he teased, swirling the red dye in the bowl. "We gotta do this right."

He began applying the dye to Sprout's hair, starting from the back. "Just try to stay still and relax," he advised, his voice calm and steady. "I don't wanna mess up and accidentally turn you bald or something."

He continued the process, slowly but surely coating each strand of hair in the vibrant red hue.

“So, uh, Cos?” Sprout spoke, “Are you planning on going to homecoming?

Cosmo looked up from his task for a moment, surprised by the question. "Homecoming?" he echoed, a hint of thoughtfulness in his eyes. "Yeah, I was thinking about it, but I haven't really decided yet. Why do you ask?"

He continued to apply the hair dye, carefully coating each strand. He was interested in where Sprout was going with this line of conversation.

Sprout fidgeted a bit in the chair, feeling a touch of nervousness. "Just curious," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

He paused for a moment, gathering his courage before asking his next question. "So, uh, if you do go, have you thought about who you'd go with?”

Cosmo smiled to himself, sensing the hesitance in Sprout's voice. He knew where this conversation was headed and he found it a bit amusing.

He continued to apply the dye, taking his time to ensure an even coating. "Nah, I haven't really thought about it," he replied, feigning nonchalance.

"To be honest, dances aren't really my thing." he added, unable to resist adding a bit of tease to his tone, "I'd rather just be asked to go on a date.”

Sprout's heart skipped a beat at Cosmo's response, his nervousness intensifying.

"A date, huh?" he echoed, trying to sound casual. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, his mind racing with thoughts.

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage to ask the question that had been on his mind. "Well, what if someone did ask you out on a date?”

Cosmo couldn't help but smile a bit at Sprout's question. He could practically sense the other boy's nervousness.

"Well," he replied, still feigning nonchalance, "If someone did ask me out, I'd have to think about it, you know?"

He added a touch more dye to the bowl, mixing it around before continuing the dye job. "It depends on who it is, of course. I wouldn't say yes just to anyone.”

Sprout nodded, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. He knew that Cosmo's response wasn't a flat-out rejection, but it wasn't an emphatic yes, either.

He sat in silence for a moment, trying to work up the courage to ask another question. But Cosmo spoke first.

"So, what's up with all the questions about dates and stuff?" the other boy asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "You got any particular reason for asking?”

Sprout's heart skipped a beat as Cosmo asked him that question. He felt his nervousness spike up, and he fiddled with his shirt again.

"Oh, uh, no particular reason," he lied, trying to keep his voice steady. "I was just curious, that's all."

The words felt false, and he knew it was obvious. He silently cursed himself for being so bad at hiding his true feelings.

Cosmo didn't buying Sprout's answer. The nervous fiddling, the unease in his voice - it made it obvious that there was more to the question than simple curiosity.

He decided to play along for now, feigning ignorance. He continued applying the dye, pretending not to notice Sprout's internal struggle.

"Alright, fair enough," he responded, trying to keep his voice casual. "Just wondering if you had your eye on anyone or something.”

Sprout's heartrate increased, feeling a mixture of anxiety and hope at Cosmo's response. He tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he spoke, trying to maintain his cool.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," he lied again, forcing out a nonchalant chuckle. "I was just asking out of curiosity, you know? Just making conversation."

He realized how unconvincing he sounded, but he couldn't bring himself to be honest. The thought of confessing his feelings felt too nerve-wracking.

Sprout watched as Cosmo prepared the green dye, his heart still racing from their conversation. He was grateful that Cosmo didn't push further, but he couldn't help but feel a touch of disappointment.

He sat there, waiting with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, as Cosmo began to apply the green dye to his hair.

The whole process was strangely intimate, and Sprout felt more and more aware of Cosmo's closeness with every passing moment.

As the green dye was applied, Sprout tried his best to stay still, but his mind was in overdrive. The feel of Cosmo's fingers in his hair, the closeness of their bodies, it was all too much.

Every time their eyes met, even for a brief moment, Sprout's heart would skip a beat. He tried to keep his emotions hidden, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, but it did little to quell the fluttering in his stomach.

The silence in the room was almost deafening, broken only by the occasional instruction from Cosmo as he continued to work on Sprout's hair.

Sprout was painfully aware of each brush of Cosmo's fingertips against his skin, each soft touch sending shivers down his spine.

He stole quick glances at Cosmo, admiring the way the other boy's hair fell perfectly in place, framing his face.

Sprout had a strong urge to reach out and touch it, but he restrained himself, knowing it would be a very stupid thing to do.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last of the green dye was applied to Sprout's hair.

"There, all done!" Cosmo exclaimed, stepping back to admire his handiwork.

He moved to grab a mirror, placing it in front of Sprout so he could see the final result.

"Ta-dah!" he announced, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Now you just have to wash the dye out.”

Cosmo left the room, so Sprout could use the shower to wash out the dye.

Sprout stepped into the shower, turning on the faucet and letting the water run hot. The dye slowly started to wash away, streaking down his hair and disappearing down the drain.

As he rinsed out the dye, he noticed the vibrant hues swirling in the water before disappearing. The red and green created a mesmerizing pattern, and Sprout couldn't help but marvel at the change in his hair.

He let the hot water wash over him, the heat helping him relax a little. The dye was now completely gone, revealing the striking combination of red and green.

After the shower, Sprout emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp and slightly tousled from the drying.

The vibrant colors of his hair looked somehow more intense, the contrast between the red and green striking.

He found Cosmo waiting in the room, casually leaning against the wall and scrolling through his phone.

"So, what do you think?" Sprout asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He fidgeted slightly, waiting for Cosmo's reaction.

Cosmo looked up from his phone, his eyes immediately drawn to Sprout's hair. His expression was one of both surprise and approval.

"Whoa," he said, taking in the vivid hues of the other boy's hair. "That looks insane."

He pushed off the wall and approached Sprout to get a better look.

"It really suits you," he added, a hint of a smile on his face. "You actually look pretty badass.”

Sprout felt a wave of relief and happiness wash over him as he heard Cosmo's compliment. He had been slightly worried about the end result, but seeing the positive reaction on Cosmo's face was a huge weight off his shoulders.

He couldn't help but smile at the other boy's words, a feeling of pride and satisfaction settling in his chest.

"Yeah?" he replied, a hint of cocky nonchalance in his voice. "You think I look badass, huh?”

Cosmo chuckled and rolled his eyes, playfully shoving Sprout's shoulder. "Don't get cocky, man," he said, trying to sound annoyed but failing to hide his amusement.

He continued to examine the other boy's hair, his gaze lingering on the vivid red and green coloring.

"I can't believe you actually went through with this," he mused, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You're insane, but damn, you look good.”

Sprout couldn't help but let out a small laugh, feeling a mixture of amusement and bashfulness.

He ran a hand through his damp hair, feeling the strands still damp and slightly tangled from the shower.

"Thanks," he said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I figured it was time for a change, you know? And I'm glad you like it."

He looked up at the other boy, their eyes meeting. The proximity felt strangely intimate, and Sprout found himself getting distracted by the small details in Cosmo's features.

As they stood there, face-to-face, the air felt a bit heavier. Sprout could feel Cosmo's eyes on him, studying his face with a hint of curiosity.

Their bodies were so close that Sprout could practically feel the heat emanating from Cosmo. He tried to keep his breathing steady, his heart thudding in his chest.

"So, uh..." he began, trying to break the sudden silence. "Thanks for helping me with all this. I don't think I would have had the guts to do it if it weren't for you.”

Cosmo chuckled lightly, his gaze still fixed on Sprout's face. He couldn't help but marvel at how effortlessly attractive the other boy looked with his new hair.

"No problem," he replied, his voice low and steady. "I knew you had it in you. Plus, it's always fun to do something a bit crazy, isn't it?"

He reached out, lightly tugging on a strand of Sprout's hair, a teasing smile on his face. The simple action sent a shiver down Sprout's spine, and he had to resist the urge to lean into the touch.

It took all of Sprout's self-control to keep his composure, his heart racing from the brief but intimate contact.

He managed to maintain a neutral expression, though his voice came out a bit breathless. "You're such a tease," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Careful, someone might get the wrong idea.”

Cosmo chuckled, a knowing look in his eye. He knew exactly the effect he was having on Sprout, and seeing the other boy trying to hide his reaction only amused him more.

He moved closer, invading Sprout's personal space, his voice dropping even lower. "What wrong idea would that be, hm?" he teased.

Sprout's heart was practically pounding out of his chest as Cosmo leaned in closer, his whispered words sending a thrilling shiver down his spine.

He tried to maintain his composure, but it was getting harder with every passing moment. The proximity was electrifying, the tension in the air almost palpable.

"You-" he managed to croak out, his voice coming out a bit raspy. "You're just... you're just enjoying this, aren't you? Teasing the hell out of me.”

Cosmo chuckled again, his eyes sparkling with playful intent. "Maybe I am," he admitted, unashamedly. "It's just too easy to get a reaction out of you."

He tugged on Sprout's hair again, eliciting a slight gasp from the other boy. He was thoroughly enjoying having this effect on Sprout.

Sprout's breath caught in his throat as Cosmo pulled at his hair, the action sending a jolt of sensation through him.

He couldn't help but look up at the other boy through half-lidded eyes, his heart rate increasing with every passing moment.

"I should probably get going." he muttered, his voice a mix of amusement and frustration.

Cosmo raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of surprise and disappointment. "Already?" he asked, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

He let go of Sprout's hair, the loss of contact leaving Sprout feeling oddly cold.

"You sure you can't stay a bit longer?" he asked, a hint of pleading in his tone. "We're having such a nice time, and it's not like you have anywhere to be, right?”

Sprout hesitated, torn between wanting to stay and knowing he should probably leave. The idea of prolonging this moment of closeness was tempting, but at the same time, he knew it wasn't making things any easier on him.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his heart. "I..." he began, his voice slightly shaky. "I really should get going."

He tried to sound resolute, but it was difficult to hide the reluctance in his voice.

Cosmo could sense the internal struggle in Sprout's voice, the subtle hint of hesitation. He had a good idea of what Sprout was thinking, and a part of him wished the other boy would stay.

He tried to hide his own sense of disappointment, nodding in understanding. "Yeah, I get it."

He took a step back, giving Sprout some room. "Just... make sure you come by again, okay? I'll miss your company.”

Sprout felt a pang of disappointment as Cosmo stepped back, the distance between them a stark reminder of reality.

He wanted to stay, but his rationality was kicking in. He knew he had to leave before things got too intense.

"Yeah, of course." he agreed, his voice a little softer than before. "I'll come by again soon. Promise."

With that promise, Sprout turned to leave, his heart a mix of emotions as he headed for the door.

As Sprout reached the door, he paused for a brief moment, glancing back at Cosmo over his shoulder.

The sight of the other boy standing there, looking slightly dejected, tugged at his heart strings. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and stay, but he knew he couldn't.

He forced a small smile, attempting to ignore the aching in his chest. "Bye," he said, the word feeling strangely final. With that, he turned the doorknob and stepped outside, the door closing behind him with a soft click.

As soon as that door shut, Cosmo practically sprinted to Ginger's room.

Ginger was sitting on her bed, mindlessly browsing her phone, when Cosmo burst into her room unannounced.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, she looked up from her phone, a mix of surprise and annoyance on her face.

"Jesus, Cosmo!" she exclaimed, tossing her phone aside. "Ever heard of knocking?”

Cosmo ignored her words, practically pacing around the room with a restless energy. He looked slightly flustered, his mind clearly occupied with something.

He stopped in front of Ginger, looking unusually urgent. "Ginger, I need your help with something.”

Ginger raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued by Cosmo's unusual behavior.

She sat up straight, giving him her full attention. "Okay, sure," she said, her tone a bit wary. "What do you need help with?”

Cosmo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself a bit. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to gather his thoughts.

"It's about Sprout," he blurted out, his voice tinged with a hint of worry. "We were just hanging out, and then... something sort of happened.”

Ginger's interest was thoroughly piqued now. Any annoyance she had felt at being disrupted was replaced with curiosity. She leaned forward, ready to listen intently.

"Something happened?" she echoed, her voice laced with intrigue. "What happened? Spill it, Cosmo.”

Cosmo took another bracing breath, his mind replaying the events of the evening. "Well..." he began, trying to keep his voice steady.

"We were hanging out, and I was helping him dye his hair. Things were fine at first, but then I started... Well, I started teasing him a bit. It was all in good fun, you know? But then..."

His voice trailed off momentarily, his expression conflicted.

Ginger waited patiently as Cosmo paused, her curiosity growing with every passing second. She could tell he was struggling to get the words out.

"Then..." she prompted gently, urging him to continue. "Then what happened?”

Cosmo took a shaky breath, the memory of the moment replaying in his mind.

"Then, I don't know, things started to feel... different." he confessed, his voice a mix of confusion and trepidation. "I was teasing him, sure, but then he started looking at me in this way... it was like..." He paused again, grappling with his thoughts.

Ginger leaned in even closer, her focus completely on Cosmo's words.

"Like what?" she asked, her voice a gentle prod, encouraging him to continue.

She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but she let him take his time to explain, wanting to hear it from his own mouth.

Cosmo fidgeted a bit, the memory still fresh in his mind.

"Like..." he continued, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "Like he was looking at me differently. Not just annoyed like usual, but... I don't know..."

He took a moment, collecting his thoughts before looking up at Ginger again.

"He was looking at me like... he wanted something. I don't know how else to explain it.”

Ginger's eyes widened slightly at Cosmo's words. She'd suspected this for a while, but hearing him say it out loud confirmed her suspicions.

She took a moment to process the information, her mind racing with possibilities.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, her voice tinged with both surprise and curiosity. "I mean, he's always been a bit weird, but have you ever considered..."

She let the words hang in the air, letting Cosmo connect the dots himself.

The meaning behind her words clicked in Cosmo's mind, and his eyes widened slightly. He knew exactly what she was implying.

"Are you saying..." he began, his voice hesitant. "Are you saying that he might, I dunno, like me or something?" The thought had never crossed his mind before, but now that it was suggested, he couldn't help but consider the possibility.

He ran a hand through his hair again, his mind racing with the implications of Ginger's suggestion.

"But I mean..." he protested weakly, a hint of denial in his voice. "He's never said anything before, right? It's just... there's no way."

He looked at Ginger, seeking confirmation, some reassurance that he was just reading too much into things.

Ginger observed Cosmo's reaction, the confusion on his face, the hint of denial in his voice.

She sighed softly, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Cosmo," she began gently, her voice filled with a mix of understanding and patience.

"You can't seriously be this blind, can you? Sprout has been giving off major hints for weeks now.”

Cosmo's confusion only seemed to deepen, his mind reeling from Ginger's words.

He shook his head slightly, trying to make sense of her words. "What? What are you talking about? Hints?"

He looked at her, a mixture of incredulity and doubt on his face. "You mean, liking me like... romantically? No way. I've known Sprout for ages; he's never shown any sign of being interested in me like that.”

Ginger raised an eyebrow, her smile growing wider at his response.

"Oh, come on, Cosmo," she teased, her voice laced with disbelief. "You can't be that dense. I've seen the way Sprout looks at you, the way he acts around you. It's like he's constantly dying for your attention. And now this whole hair dying incident... you're telling me you really haven't noticed?”

Cosmo's cheeks flushed a slight shade of pink, a mix of embarrassment and reluctant realization settling in.

He knew Ginger was usually observant and perceptive, but the thought of Sprout having any non-platonic feelings for him was still too much to fully accept.

"I..." he tried to protest, but the words died on his tongue. He knew deep down that Ginger was right, and the pieces were starting to click into place.

He let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair once more as the denial slowly melted away.

"Okay, so let's say you're right," he said, his voice tinged with resignation. "Let's say Sprout does have... romantic feelings for me. What am I supposed to do with that? I've known him for years, he's my best friend!”

Ginger rolled her eyes a bit at his protest.

"Honestly, you two are both so oblivious sometimes." She said, a mixture of fondness and annoyance in her voice.

"Why does it matter that you've known him for years? So what if he's your best friend? Feelings change, and people change. It doesn't mean your friendship will magically disappear if you start dating.”

Cosmo listened to Ginger's words, his mind slowly processing the truth behind them.

She had a way of cutting through the clutter and simplifying things, and her logic made sense.

"I guess you're right," he admitted, his voice a bit quieter now. "But what if it doesn't work out? I don't want to risk losing our friendship over something like this.”

Cosmo mulled over her words, absorbing the wisdom in them. Ginger had a way of cutting straight to the heart of the situation.

"You're right," he acknowledged, his voice filled with a newfound determination. "I can't ignore the possibility or how Sprout might be feeling. I owe it to both of us to at least consider the idea. But where do I even start? How do I know if he really likes me like that?”

Ginger smiled, pleased with his response.

"You start by communicating with him," she replied, her voice firm but gentle. "Have an honest conversation with him. Ask him how he feels. Don't make assumptions, talk it out. And if it turns out he does have feelings for you, well... you'll cross that bridge when you get to it."

She looked at him, her smile warm. "You two have a strong bond. Your friendship can withstand a conversation about feelings, I'm sure of it.”

Cosmo took in her words, the knots in his stomach slowly unravelling.

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed, his voice steadier now. "We've been through a lot together; we owe it to each other to have an open and honest conversation. I just... I guess I'm a bit scared of what it might reveal."

He let out a huff, a mix of excitement and fear churning within him. "Thanks, Ginger. You always know how to knock some sense into me.”

Ginger chuckled, a sense of satisfaction in her eyes.

"No problem," she replied, her tone light-hearted. "Just promise me one thing, okay? Don't bail out on having this talk with Sprout because you're scared. It could change everything, in a good way."

She gave him a small nudge, a sign of encouragement. "And no matter what happens, your friendship will survive. You two are stronger than you think.”

Cosmo nodded, her words igniting a flicker of confidence within him.

"I promise," he said, his voice steady and resolute. "I won't bail. I'll talk to him and see where it goes. You're right; we've always gotten through everything together. A conversation about feelings shouldn't be any different."

He gave her a small smile, gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks, Ginger. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

Cosmo went back to his room and flopped into his bed with a groan. Munchkin was nearby, laying in a basket. She stretched before jumping onto the bed with him.

As Cosmo laid in his bed, still trying to process the thoughts swirling in his head, his cat, Munchkin, jumped onto the bed to join him.

The sight of the fluffy creature immediately brought a small smile to his face. "Hey, Munchkin," he said softly, reaching out to pet her.

He felt comforted by her presence, and the gentle touch of her soft fur helped soothe his racing thoughts… Which were interrupted by his phone getting a notification.

The sudden ding of his phone pulled Cosmo out of his thoughts, and he glanced over at the device lying on his bedside table.

Curious, he picked up his phone and checked the notification.

“Hey, Cos. Srry Abt earlier lol.”

Cosmo stared at the notification on his phone, Sprout's name popping up on the screen. His heart skipped a beat as he read the text.

He stared at the screen for a moment, a mix of emotions running through him. A small smile crept onto his lips as he composed a reply.

He typed out a response, before deleting it.. And did that a couple more times before sighing and closing his phone without responding.

“Meow.”

“Don't look at me like that.”

Chapter Text

“You look stupid.” Vee said, as she opened her lunchbox.

“C'mon, it isn't that bad..” Shelly retorted, pushing Vee a bit.

“You look like a fucking strawberry.” She replied, rolling her eyes.

“Well, I think it looks cool.” Sprout huffed, crossing his arms, “Plus, it's my hair. I do what I want.”

Cosmo chuckled at their exchange, his eyes lingering on Sprout. Seeing him so feisty was endearing.

He decided to interject, wanting to tease him a bit more. "Yeah, it's his hair," he agreed with Sprout. "He can do whatever he wants with it."

He turned to Vee, a smirk on his face. "Plus, some of us like the fruity look.”

“Pssh.. Something here is definitely fruity.” Vee mumbled.

Shelly practically started choking once she heard that, “Vee!” She exclaimed.

Cosmo chuckled, enjoying the exchange as Shelly scolded Vee for her comment.

Sprout rolled his eyes, a slight blush on his cheeks at Vee's teasing. "Real mature, Vee." he muttered.

He glanced over at Cosmo, noticing the other's smile. A small flicker of something passed through his eyes, but he quickly looked away, focusing back on his lunch.

They ate in relative silence, the small group focused on their lunches. But Cosmo couldn't help but glance over at Sprout from time to time.

Shelly seemed oblivious to the tension, happily munching on her food. She looked up suddenly, noticing Sprout's subtle blush.

"Hey, Sprout, are you feeling okay?" she asked genuinely, a hint of concern in her voice.

Unbeknownst to her, it only made Sprout more flustered, especially under Cosmo's watchful gaze.

Shelly didn't seem entirely convinced, her concern still apparent. However, she shrugged it off, assuming it was just a passing thing.

Instead, she tried to lighten the mood by bringing up a different topic. "So," she began, a mischievous grin on her face. "Homecoming's coming up soon.”

Shelly's words pulled Sprout's attention away from his flustered state. He glanced up at her, his interest piqued.

"Oh, right. Homecoming..." he echoed, his voice a little more composed now.

He thought about the upcoming event, the idea of a school dance sounding both exciting and slightly nerve-wracking.

"You guys think you're gonna go?" Shelly continued, looking between Sprout and Cosmo.

Cosmo had been quietly listening to the conversation, a soft smile on his face.

"I might go," he replied with a shrug, "Dances aren't really my thing."

He flicked his gaze over to Sprout, raising an eyebrow. "What about you, Sprout? You planning on going to the dance?”

Sprout fidgeted with his food, avoiding eye contact for a moment. The question caught him off guard, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I don't know," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I haven't really given it too much thought..."

He knew he was lying, because the truth was, he had been thinking about the dance a lot. He'd even daydreamed about a certain someone asking him to go.

Shelly chuckled, catching onto Sprout's hesitance. She glanced at Cosmo, a knowing smirk on her face.

Cosmo chuckled, seeing Shelly's expression. He knew what she was thinking, but he decided to play along.

"Oh, I think he has thought about it," he teased, his voice playful. "Just a hunch."

He looked over at Sprout, who was now visibly flustered. "Come on, Sprout. Spill it. You got someone in mind?”

“Oh, look.. Astros texting me, man I gotta go–” Sprout chuckled, “Bye guys!” He quickly grabbed his stuff and left the cafeteria.

Shelly and Cosmo exchanged grins, both thoroughly amused by Sprout's hasty exit.

"He's got it bad~" Shelly sang, practically giggling. "Who do you think it is?"

Cosmo chuckled, shaking his head. "I have a feeling I know."

He couldn't help but feel a pang of satisfaction and hope. The way Sprout had reacted... It was almost like he was hoping someone specific would ask him to the dance.

After Sprout's abrupt departure, Shelly and Cosmo finished up their lunches, their thoughts still lingering on him.

As they got up to leave, Shelly nudged Cosmo with a sly grin. "You totally know who Sprout has a crush on, don't you?"

Cosmo chuckled, his heart racing a bit at her words. He tried to play it cool, but the truth was, he already had an inkling. "Maybe," he said, a glimmer of intrigue in his eyes. "Maybe I do.”

“I can't do it, Astro.” Sprout complained, pacing around the bathroom, “I can't ask him.”

Astro leaned against the wall, watching his friend pace back and forth. "Why not? Haven't you been crushing on this guy for like, a while now?”

Sprout stopped, a mix of frustration and determination on his face. "Yeah, I have. But... what if he doesn't feel the same way? What if I'm just reading into things too much and he doesn't see me like that?”

Astro rolled his eyes, a knowing look on his face. "Dude, come on. You guys have the worst case of mutual pining I've ever seen. He glances at you every five minutes, he's constantly seeking your attention. He's just as into you as you are into him.”

Sprout let out a huff, the denial still present but weakened by Astro's words.

"But what if... What if you're wrong? I can't handle the rejection. It would be so embarrassing. He's my best friend, I don't want to mess things up between us.”

Astro softened, understanding his friend's concern. He approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "First of all, I'm not wrong. I've seen the way he looks at you, and I know what I'm seeing."

He took a breath and continued, "Second of all, even if by some weird miracle, I'm wrong, it's still better to know than to never ask. Otherwise, you'll be agonizing over it for who knows how long. You're friends, you'll handle yourself just fine.”

“You don't know that!” He exclaimed, “When Dandy said he liked you, you ran away and it destroyed your friendship for years.”

That certainly got Astro to shut up.

Astro's face fell, his expression turning serious. He hadn't expected Sprout to bring up that part of his past.

He took a deep breath, his eyes downcast. "That's... different."

"How is it different?” Sprout didn't back down this time, crossing his arms and looking directly at Astro. He knew he had crossed a line, but he wanted to hear the truth.

Astro ran a hand through his hair, his gaze a mix of discomfort and regret. "It just was.”

"And why was it different?" Sprout persisted, pressing the matter. "Because the guy you had a crush on for years suddenly confessed? Because you weren't ready for it? Because you were scared of ruining the friendship and getting your heart broken?”

"Okay!" Astro snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Yes, all of that. Is that what you wanted to hear? Congrats, are you satisfied now?”

Sprout could hear the anger in Astro's voice, but instead of backing down, he stood his ground. "No, I'm not satisfied. Because you're trying to convince me to do something you were too scared to do yourself. It took you three years to even speak to Dandy again. Three years, Astro.”

Astro's jaw set as he realized the truth in Sprout's words. He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clear. "God, I didn't realize you of all people would rub that in my face.”

"Someone had to," Sprout retorted, his gaze unwavering. "You're here, telling me to take the risk, when you couldn't do it yourself. That's a bit... hypocritical, don't you think?”

Astro averted his gaze, taking a step back. He was silent, the weight of Sprout's words sinking in.

"I just... I don't want you to end up like me," he said softly, his voice tinged with regret. "It's a hell of a thing to live with. Trust me, I know from experience.”

Sprout's expression softened at Astro's admission. Despite his earlier outburst, he didn't want to see his friend in pain.

"And I get that, I do," he replied, his voice more gentle now. "But I can't risk what you did.”

The bell rang, and Sprout made his way to the door.

“I can't lose him like that, Astro.” He sighed, “A-and I'd rather hold it in than risk him saying no.”

Astro watched as Sprout moved towards the door, the words sinking in. His heart ached for his friend, knowing the dilemma he was facing.

"But Sprout-" Astro began, but before he could say anything, the door closed behind his friend. The sound echoed in the empty bathroom, leaving Astro alone with his thoughts.

“Fine, I didn't want to result to meddling.. But I can.”

Astro took out his phone, a determined look on his face. He scrolled through his contacts and dialed a number.

The phone rang once, twice... then a familiar voice picked up. "Hello?”

“Hey, can you ask everyone to meet up at the park after school? Except Sprout and Cosmo.” Astro explained.

There was a pause on the other end, but the voice eventually responded, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Uh... yeah, sure. Which one?”

"The one near BNS" Astro replied, already walking out of the bathroom.

"And make sure no one tells Sprout or Cosmo," he added, a hint of mischief in his voice.

"Got it." the voice replied, before hanging up.

Astro put his phone away, a smirk slowly forming on his face. He had a plan, and it was time to put it into motion.

So, after school Astro made his way to the park. They all met up in one of the gazebos. Everyone being Dandy, Shelly, Vee and Bobette.

Bobette didn't usually hang with them, but they needed a member of the cooking club there.

The group gathered under the shelter of the gazebo, the cool breeze blowing through the trees surrounding the area.

Dandy looked around, his curiosity piqued. "So, Astro, what's the plan? Why'd you bring us here?”

Astro took a seat next to Dandy, a sly smile on his face. "It's about time we intervened in a little affair that's been going a bit... slow”

Shelly leaned forward, an excited glint in her eyes. "Oh, are you talking about the Sprout and Cosmo thing? Because I am so for it.”

Shelly leaned forward, an excited glint in her eyes. "Oh, are you talking about the Sprout and Cosmo thing? Because I am so for it.”

Vee nodded in agreement. "Watching them feels like reading one of those really shitty slow burn fanfictions written by middle schoolers.”

"Exactly!" Astro exclaimed. "That's where we come in. We're gonna intervene, give them a little push.”

Vee raised her eyebrows, “Wow, Astro.. I didn't know you had it in you to meddle.”

“That's what happens when you're around Dandy for too long I guess..” He chuckled in reply.

Dandy rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But you’re all here now, willing to go along with it."

Shelly grinned. "We’re all in, Astro. So what’s the plan?”

Astro leaned back, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Well, the homecoming dance is coming up. And by the looks of it neither of them are gonna go.. Unless.”

Vee arched an eyebrow, catching on to Astro's implication. "Unless.. we force them to?”

"Kinda sorta," He shrugged, "And that's where Bobette comes in.”

Bobette looked surprised by the sudden attention on her, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Me? What am I doing?" she asked, curiosity lacing her voice.

“Well,” Astro continued, “Someone told me that they were having issues finding caterers for the dance.”

Bobette's expression lit up, understanding dawning on her. "Are you suggesting—"

Astro nodded, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That's right. If we can convince the student council that the cooking club is the best option to cater the event, Sprout and Cosmo will have no choice but to go.”

“And that's where I and Vee come in I'm guessing?” Dandy asked, drumming his fingers against the wooden railing.

“Yep. You are the president and Vee is the treasurer. You guys are the two most convincing people I know! You just have to convince the other council members.” Astro explained.

Vee smiled, a glint of determination in her eyes, "I usually don't work with his type but.. We'll make it work."

Dandy nodded, a sly grin spreading across his face. "We’ll get those council members eating out of the palm of our hands.”

Astro chuckled at their enthusiasm. "I knew I could rely on you guys.”

"And what about us?" Shelly asked, gesturing between herself and Bobette.

Astro turned his gaze to them, his eyes twinkling with a mix of mischief and anticipation. We'll need a reason for why the cooking students won't go into the cooking class..”

The others seemed to catch onto what he was getting at, and a wave of understanding washed over their faces.

Shelly nodded in agreement, a sly smile on her face. "Oh, I think we can handle that. We'll just keep the kitchen "accidentally" unusable all the time.”

“That won't work. We just got new equipment. None of it would have broken already.” Bobette replied.

Astro paused, considering Bobette's words. "We're gonna need them to stay out of the cooking class if we're gonna lock Cosmo and Sprout in the pantry.”

"Oh! I know." Bobette piped up, a hint of triumph in her eyes. "We can use the cafeteria to cook instead, I can pretend to accidentally leave one of the ingredients in the pantry and ask them to go get it.”

The group exchanged impressed glances, appreciating the quick thinking.
Vee smirked, "Not too bad, Bobette. That might just work.”

“But, won't they notice that Sprout and Cosmo are gone?” Dandy added.

“That's where Shelly can come in.” Astro replied, pointing at Shelly, “Sprout has a tendency to forget his phone while cooking. He always puts it on a counter. Shelly can get his phone and text a message to her phone that gives a reason to why they're gone.”

“Can do!” Shelly exclaimed in response.

“Y'know what, I'll grab the phone instead. I'm sneakier,” Astro decided, “You just show them the message.”

Shelly nodded in agreement, realizing he had a point.

“Fair enough,” she said, grinning. “I’ll make sure to keep anyone from being suspicious and getting in your way.”

“With how much you talk, you can do anything.” Vee teased, rolling her eyes.

Shelly gave Vee a mock scowl, but inside she knew the other girl was right.

“You’re not as funny as you think you are.” Shelly retorted, poking Vee in the arm.

“Oh, I’m hilarious” Vee responded, batting Shelly's hand away playfully.

“Cut it.” Astro interrupted, before turning to Bobette, “You're her girlfriend, what would Ginger think of us doing this?”

The room fell silent as they considered his words.

Bobette fidgeted with her skirt, a look of discomfort clear on her face. “I don’t.. I don’t think Ginger would like this.” she muttered out under her breath, uncertainty in her voice.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Astro conceded, realising the complexity of the situation, "Then, keep her in the dark.”

“But.. she’s gonna find out eventually.” Bobette protested weakly. “She’s not stupid.”

“I know, I know.” Astro sighed, "but hopefully by the time she does, it'll be too late to change anything.”

Bobette looked like she wanted to argue, but she stayed silent.

The tension in the air was palpable as the group remained immersed in their thoughts, contemplating the ethical implications of their plan.

Vee broke the silence “So, are we all in agreement on the plan? Are we going to do this for sure?”

The others exchanged glances, their gazes meeting and holding silently. One by one, they nodded in agreement. It was set.

Everyone began to head out as Astro leaned against the gazebo and sighed, combing a hand through his hair.

As everyone left, heading in their own directions, Astro lingered for a moment longer, contemplating what was to come.

He couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation at the plan they'd just devised.

He straightened himself from the railing, running a hand through his hair once more. The plan was set, and there was no turning back now.

“Hey, Astro..” Dandy said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Astro jumped a bit in surprise, “Oh, I thought you left..”

“Not yet, I wanted to talk to you.” Dandy replied, his tone unusually solemn.

Astro raised an eyebrow, unsure of what was coming, “Alright, what's up?”

Dandy let out a sigh, as if gathering his thoughts.

“You sure this is the right thing to do? I mean, messing with people's feelings like this?” he asked.

Astro knew that question was coming. He'd asked himself the same question. Was he doing the right thing?

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” he admitted, his gaze turning to the ground. “But we’ve got to do something. Those two are driving me crazy.”

“But isn’t this too much?” Dandy questioned, his eyes reflecting his concern.

Astro sighed, “Maybe, I just don't want what happened between us to happen to them. Y'know?”

He squeezed Astro's shoulder comfortingly. "I get it. But we just need to be careful, okay? We don't want this blowing up in all of our faces.”

Astro chuckled lightly, appreciating Dandy's concern.

"I know, I know," he reassured him. "It's all gonna work out, okay? Trust me on this.”

He gave Dandy a reassuring smile, but Dandy still looked wary.

"Alright, but if things go south, I might have a backup." He warned him, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

They locked eyes for a moment, complete silence washing over them.

The moment seemed to drag on endlessly, the two of them caught in each other's gaze.

Astro smiled at Dandy, a mix of emotions swirling in his eyes. This moment felt different, more intimate than their usual interactions.

Dandy cleared his throat before speaking, “Anyways–”

He was cut off by Astro's lips hitting his own.

It was a quick kiss, and it caught Dandy by complete surprise. His eyes widened as he felt Astro's lips against his.

When Astro pulled away, Dandy just stared at him, processing what had just happened.

“Bye.” Astro waved, as he began walking away without a other word.

Dandy stood rooted to the spot, his mind still reeling.

He touched his fingers to his lips, the memory of the kiss still lingering. He had so many questions.

“Wait–” he finally managed to say, turning back to face Astro. “What the hell was that for?!”

Chapter Text

The next day in cooking class, everyone was settling into their seats. Mr. Snap stood up and tapped a marker against his desk, signaling for everyone to shut it.

“Alright, I have an announcement.” He began, “The student council has asked us to cater the homecoming event.”

A wave of surprised whispers and murmurs washed over the class, the news piquing everyone's interest.

"Huh? The student council wants us to cater the homecoming?" Scraps asked, her eyebrows raised, "But why?”

“I just work here.” He replied, “Anyway, if you guys don't wish to.. I can tell them that. But, this could bring in some new opportunities for us.”

The class fell into silence for a moment, the idea of new opportunities clearly being tempting.

Bobette sat there with a slight smile on her face, as she knew that everything was going to pla–

"I dunno.. Some of us have dates, or other plans." Cosmo reminded, cutting her thoughts out.

Bobette silently cursed under her breath. She hadn't thought about that part.

"Yeah, some of us have plans." A student piped in, echoing Cosmo's words.

A chorus of agreement followed, and Bobette knew she had to do something to convince them.. Even though she's never been a persuasive person.

"Alright, alright." Snap said, attempting to quiet the class down, "I'll let them know, then."

Bobette shot out of her seat, her eyes widening. "No!" she blurted out, a bit too loud, her voice catching everyone's attention.

Everyone in the class turned to look at her, clearly taken aback by her sudden outburst.

“I.. I mean..." she began quickly, her heart racing. She wasn't used to speaking to a crowd, which only heightened her nerves, "Maybe we could.. do it?”

The entire class was staring at her now, their eyes on her. She could feel the weight of their gazes, all the attention making her want to shrink in her chair.

Bobette forced a smile on her face, trying to appear more confident than she actually was. "Think about the publicity we would gain from it.." She added, hoping to convince the rest of the class.

“She's right.” Ginger spoke up, “This could open opportunities for us to cater for other events, and it would look amazing on our college applications.”

Bobette mentally thanked Ginger for her support silently. It was good to know that she was on her side.

As the class thought about Ginger's words, the atmosphere in the room shifted, a chorus of agreement slowly rising.

“That IS true, we might get job opportunities from this.”

“That would be pretty cool..”

Bobette tried to suppress a smirk, this was going to plan.

Everyone seemed to be warming up to the idea, their initial doubts fading away, Replaced with excitement at the opportunity presented.

Snap, who had been listening to the exchange, looked satisfied. "Alright. I will let the student council know that we are willing to cater for homecoming.”

Bobette let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The plan was working. A wave of relief washed over her, her nervousness slowly fading away.

She sent a grateful smile in Ginger's direction, silently thanking her for backing her up earlier. Ginger returned the smile, a subtle nod telling her it was no problem.

After the bell rang, Cosmo and Sprout were both standing at his locker as Cosmo got his supplies for next block.

“I guess it's a good thing I didn't plan on going.” Cosmo shrugged, “Sorry if you were…”

Sprout closed his locker, waving a hand at him with a shrug. "Don't worry about it. I don't think I was going to go anyway. I mean, who even needs a random school dance? It's stupid when you think about it. You spend your time awkwardly slow dancing with each other, surrounded by sweaty students, and having no space at all.”

Cosmo chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. Now that you mention it, it does sound pretty stupid."

He shut his locker and started walking down the hall, Sprout following right next to him.

"Besides, I'd much rather hang out with you than go to some lame school dance." Sprout said with a smirk, bumping his shoulder against Cosmo's playfully.

Vee watched as the two walked past her and Astro. She took a sip of whatever she was drinking and mumbled, “Can they literally stop verbally edging each other for two minutes?”

“They really need to get to the confession part.” Astro replied, rolling his eyes. “They’ve been dancing this line for years now.”

“I knowww.” Vee groaned, exasperated. “God, it’s like they’re allergic to confessing their feelings.”

Before they knew it, it was the day of the homecoming dance! All the students were gathered in the gym, minus the cooking students.

The gym was lit in a purple color, with some streamers and balloons here and there. Nothing too crazy, considering their insanely cheap school.

They were in the kitchen, preparing the food. The majority of it was all done.

Bobette and Sprout stood together with the other cooking students as they packed the food onto carts. Bobette's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

She was proud about the food looking so good, yet at the same time she was also nervous about the plan failing somehow.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the next part. "We're out of flour.. Uhh, Cosmo and Sprout can you two go down to the class and get some out of the pantry?”

Cosmo nodded to her, and he and Sprout headed out of the kitchen to the pantry. They walked side by side through the hall, their footsteps the only sound audible.

Cosmo suddenly broke the silence, as they approached the pantry. "It's pretty quiet around the building today, huh? Kinda creepy almost.”

Sprout rolled his eyes at the comment, a small smirk on his lips. "Don't tell me you're scared.”

"I'm not scared." Cosmo retorted, lightly shoving him playfully.

Sprout laughed, "You totally are. I can see it on your face, coward.”

Bobette glanced at Vee, telling her and the others to get in position.

The others nodded quietly, understanding their roles. Astro quickly grabbed Sprout's phone and hid it in his pocket, while Shelly began talking to the cooking students.

Bobette took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Everything was set up perfectly, now all they had to do was wait for the two to enter the pantry.

Meanwhile, Sprout and Cosmo made their way inside the pantry, the room filled with a variety of food products on the shelves. Cosmo searched the shelves while Sprout leaned against the wall, looking rather bored

"Where is the flour? Normally it's here." Cosmo mumbled, trying to locate the flour.

Then they heard the door shut.

The sound of the door shutting made both of them freeze. They exchanged confused glances, trying to figure out who was at the door.

Sprout was the first one to step forward and try the door knob. His heart dropped when he realized it was locked.

"The hell?" He muttered, trying to jiggle the knob.

Cosmo's eyebrows furrowed, "The door's locked."

Sprout's frustration rose as he tried to open the door again, "Dammit! Why is it locked?”

“Seems like you're out of luck, Berryboy.” Vee’s voice replied from the other side.

"What? Wait, Vee?" Sprout called out, both him and Cosmo looking confused.

Sprout pulled at the door again, hoping it might miraculously open. "This isn't funny, Vee! Let us out!”

"Sorry, no can do." She replied nonchalantly. "You guys are just gonna have to stay in there for a while.”

Cosmo's expression darkened as he pounded against the door. "What the hell are you doing?" He yelled, anger creeping into his voice.

"Relax, you'll understand soon enough." Vee replied, her voice carrying a mysterious tone.

Sprout kicked the door, his frustration mounting. "This isn't funny, Vee! Stop playing around and open the door!"

There was no response on the other side and that only enraged them more.

Then, the cooking classroom door opened and someone walked in. “Vee, did you get them?”

“Of course.” She replied in a smug voice.

“ASTRO?” Sprout yelled in surprise.

“You were in on this…?” Cosmo added quietly.

Astro smiled sheepishly, guilt flashing across his eyes for a moment before returning to its usual confidence. "Yup! I sure was."

Sprout and Cosmo both stared at him in disbelief, confusion and anger etched on their faces.

“Wow, Vee. Surprised you can actually manage something.” Dandy teased as he walked in.

“Okay, yeah I was kinda expecting him.” Sprout shrugged.

“God forbid a guy have hobbies.”

“Who else is in on this?” Cosmo interjected, arms crossing.

"All of us. Me, Dandy, Shelly, and Bobette." Vee confirmed, a sly smirk on her face.

“Bworf!”

“Yeah, Pebble too.” Dandy added.

Sprout's eyes widened in shock, "Pebble? You're telling me even the dog was in on this?”

"Yup, even the dog." Vee replied, her tone nonchalant as she leaned against a wall.

Cosmo slammed his hand against the door. "Unbelievable! What the hell is the meaning of this?!”

“By the way, Sprout, what's your phone password?’ Astro asked.

Sprout looked at him incredulously. "Why the hell do you need to know my phone password?”

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough." Astro replied, digging through his pockets.

Sprout looked through the tiny window of the pantry, "IS THAT MY FUCKING PHONE?”

Meanwhile, the cooking students were starting to get suspicious as to why they hadn't come back yet.

Shelly stood there, waiting for Astro to text her from Sprout's phone.. She was getting more nervous by the minute.

Suddenly Ginger sighed and stood up, “That's it. I gotta go find them.”

"What? Wait, hold on-" Shelly began, panic setting in.

“Shit..” Bobette mumbled.

"What are we gonna do? Ginger's gonna ruin everything..." Shelly panicked.

Ginger began walking down the hall to the cooking classroom but was interrupted by a tiny dog running down the hallway into the gym.

Ginger paused, a puzzled expression on her face. She turned to look at the dog, confusion creeping in. "Pebble?”

Shelly and Bobette both let out a sigh of relief.

“Damn, good distraction.” Shelly chuckled.

"We got lucky there." Bobette nodded, her hand on her chest, feeling her heart rate go back down to normal.

Then gasps and screams started to be heard from the gym.

“Oh my God! Someone get it!”

“Is that a dog?”

Shelly rushed to the gym doors, flinging them open and looking into the gym.

They saw Pebble running around, chasing after a few students, causing panic and chaos.

"Damn it! That dog is nuts!" A student yelled, desperately trying to get away from Pebble.

“Should we get him?” Bobette asked, as they watched the scene unfold.

Pebble then proceeded to knock the punch bowl off the table.

“Nah.” Shelly replied.

Shelly and Bobette watched as the punch bowl crashed to the floor, punch splashing everywhere, staining the floor and nearby student's clothes.

"Well, they're gonna be distracted for a while..." Bobette chuckled, watching as the chaos continued.

Back with the others, Cosmo and Sprout had been left alone in the closet.. The others had left them alone.

Sprout was still furious, the betrayal from his friends eating at him. He kicked the door again, the anger and frustration building up. "I can’t believe them! This is ridiculous!”

"I know, but can you at least try to calm down?" Cosmo replied, leaning against the wall, "I don't get why they did this either..”

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down when I'm locked in here with you?" Sprout retorted, his pacing growing more erratic.

"And what's wrong with being locked in here with me, huh?!” Cosmo shot back, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Nothing. Forget it." Sprout grumbled, running his hand through his hair in frustration. The silence that followed was tense, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Just...this is so stupid." Sprout finally said, breaking the silence. "Why can't they just let stuff happen on it's own?”

Cosmo let out a puff of air, crossing his arms. "Let what happen?”

Sprout paused for a moment, his thoughts racing. "You know exactly what I mean," he said finally, not meeting Cosmo's gaze.

"Say it out loud, then." Cosmo challenged, his gaze locked on Sprout.

Sprout's face flushed, taken aback by the sudden demand. "Why? So you can use it against me?”

"No, because I want to hear you say it." Cosmo retorted, a hint of determination in his voice.

Sprout hesitated for a moment, his heart pounding erratically in his chest. He could feel the weight of his feelings, threatening to burst out, and the thought scared and excited him all at the same time. "Fine, you want to hear it? You seriously want to hear it?”

"Every word of it." Cosmo's gaze didn't waver, his expression daring Sprout to continue.

Sprout felt as if he was stuck in a spotlight, all his feelings bubbling to the surface under Cosmo's relentless gaze. He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly as he finally blurted out, "I like you, okay?! I like you a lot!”

The confession hung in the air, the words hanging heavily between them. Cosmo's expression stayed neutral, but his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. He had always suspected.. but hearing those words actually come out of Sprout's mouth was a different thing entirely.

Sprout, however, couldn't bear the silence any longer. The confession had been building up for so long, and now that it was out there, he felt vulnerable and exposed. "Say something!" he demanded, unable to stand the anticipation.

Cosmo's gaze shifted, his eyes softening as he processed the confession. He took a step closer to Sprout, the atmosphere in the pantry suddenly feeling much more intimate.

Sprout couldn't take his eyes off of him, waiting for his response. Time seemed to stretch out, the silence between them growing more and more tense. Every passing second felt like an eternity.. until he finally spoke.

"I knew it." Cosmo replied, a smirk forming on his face.

Sprout's expression shifted into a mix of annoyance and surprise. "You knew? What do you mean you've known this whole time, and you didn't say anything?!”

Cosmo chuckled at his reaction, his confidence growing. "Of course I knew. It was kind of, kinda extremely obvious.”

Sprout felt his frustration rise, his cheeks growing red. "How was it obvious?! How the hell could you know?”

Cosmo shrugged nonchalantly, leaning closer towards Sprout, “Dude, you’re not as subtle as you think you are.”

Sprout's cheeks grew even more flushed. The closeness was making his heart race even more. Cosmo reached to touch his hair, looking him in the eyes.

It was getting harder and harder to think straight, the combination of the tension and the proximity of Cosmo too much to bear. Sprout swallowed, his throat feeling dry as cotton. “What are you doing?” he managed to murmur.

“Yoink.” Cosmo whispered, before pulling away. He was now holding a hair pin.

Sprout looked at him in surprise, his mind not fully registering what had just happened. "Seriously? You stole my hair pin?”

"What can I say? It was right there.." Cosmo smirked, twirling the pin in his hand. "Besides, I always wanted to try the whole picklocking thing.”

Sprout rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You know you could've just asked to see it, right?”

Cosmo then leaned in and pecked him on the lips, “I've always wanted to try that, too.”

Sprout's eyes widened, the sensation of the impromptu kiss sending a wave of tingles through his entire body. He stood there, paralyzed, as the realization set in.

He felt a mixture of disbelief, disbelief at the audacity and the suddenness of the action. He watched as Cosmo casually went back to picking the lock as if he hadn't just rocked his whole world.

Sprout's mind was spinning, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He took a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper, "You.. You just.. kissed me.”

"Yeah, I did." Cosmo replied, a smirk returning to his face as he heard the lock click. The door creaked open, cool air rushing in, and for a moment, they both stood there, the tension between them still lingering in the air.

Sprout felt dizzy, a mix of emotions coursing through him. "Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice still tinged with disbelief.

"Because I've wanted to do it for a long time." Cosmo replied bluntly. He leaned into the now open doorway, his gaze locked onto Sprout.

Sprout swallowed hard, trying to regain his composure. "What does that make us?" he managed to ask, hope and uncertainty mixing in his voice.

"I think it's pretty damn obvious." Cosmo chuckled, taking a step into the doorway. "We're more than friends, that's for sure.”

Sprout felt his heart flutter at those words, a mix of joy and relief washing over him. "So does that mean.. We're a thing, now?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah, I guess so." Cosmo replied, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't mind it at all.. would you?"

Sprout smiled, excitement and disbelief still coursing through him. "Absolutely not.”

Sprout walked over to one of the desks, where Astro left his phone at. He unlocked it and called him.

The sound of ringing filled their ears until it suddenly went silent, and then Astro's voice came through. "Yoo, what's up?”

"You have two seconds to explain or I swear to god I'm gonna kick your ass." Sprout replied, his patience running thin.

"Woah- Wait, calm down-“ Astro began, clearly startled by Sprout’s aggressive tone.

"Calm down?" Sprout repeated, his voice rising. "You lock me in a damn closet while playing matchmaker with my love life and you expect me to stay calm?”

"Did it work-" Astro tried to reason, but was cut off once more by Sprout.

"No one asked you to interfere!" Sprout retorted, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Sorry, okay?" Astro relented, "I just thought it'd be a good idea, you two are driving me insane with your slow burn thing.”

"We weren't asking for your help." Sprout snapped, irritation lacing his voice. "You had no right to go through my phone, and you had no right to lock me in a freaking pantry!”

“I mean..” Cosmo shrugged, “It did work.”

"That- That's not the point!" Sprout protested, frustration evident in his voice. But then he paused, his expression softening slightly.

"Wait.." Astro began, "What did you mean it worked? Are you saying.. That this whole thing actually worked?”

"Yes, it worked." Sprout begrudgingly admitted, his anger gradually simmering down. "We're together, okay? Happy now?”

"Oh, hell, yes!" Astro exclaimed cheerfully, causing Sprout to roll his eyes. "Finally!”

Then, they heard Vee's voice in the background, “What are you cheering about?”

"We did it! I got them to get together!" Astro replied with a triumphant voice.

"Wait, seriously? Well, that was quick." Vee replied, sounding surprised.

“Someone seriously should get Pebble now.” Shelly reminded.

Then, there was a bark heard in the cooking class, as Pebble made his way in there. His tail was wagging and he had managed to steal a brownie and was munching on it.

Without a thought, Sprout snatched it away from him as he growled, “Bud, no. You can't eat chocolate.”

Pebble looked up at him with his big puppy eyes, a pitiful look on his face, as if he was being punished. He let out a low whine.

“Well, he deserves some sort of treat for being a good distraction.” Shelly retorted from the other end.

"A brownie isn't a dog treat." Sprout argued, still holding the chocolate away from Pebble's reach.

“Ooh!” Cosmo piped up, before walking into the pantry. He came back with a bag of those vanilla wafer cookies thingies.

“Those are for the baking club.” Sprout protested, but Cosmo ignored him, instead kneeling down and gently feeding Pebble a cookie.

"Shhhh, we don't need to worry about that for now." Cosmo cooed to the dog, scratching his head.

“The dance is nearly over..” The green-eyed boy replied.

“What?” Cosmo asked, surprised. “Already?”

“I could, uh, walk you home if you want.” Sprout suggested, nervously.

There was a cacophony of aws coming from the phone before Sprout hung up.

Cosmo grinned, "Aww, that would be nice." He stood up and dusted his pants off.

They began to walk out of the school together. The hall was still loud with music coming from the gym, the sounds of teenagers having fun. But once they were outside, the tranquility of the night surrounded them.

Sprout stole glances at Cosmo, still in disbelief that they were actually together. A part of him couldn't believe that all it took was being locked in a pantry to get here.

"You’re staring." A playful smirk graced Cosmo's face as he caught Sprout looking at him.

Sprout felt his cheeks flush slightly, a mix of embarrassment and anticipation flooding him. "Shut up.." he muttered, looking away.

"And here I thought I was the shy one." Cosmo teased, his hand slipping into Sprout's.

Sprout felt his heart skip a beat at the sudden contact, a strange mix of nervousness and exhilaration coursing through him.

"I'm not shy. I just don't like attention.." Sprout protested weakly, his hand gripping Cosmo's hand a bit tighter as they walked.

“You like it when I give you attention, though.” Cosmo smirked, gently swinging their joined hands as they walked.

There was a brief silence before Cosmo spoke up again, “This feels unreal.. Like I've waited so long for this.”

Sprout nodded in agreement, the reality of the situation sinking in. "It's crazy.. I've wanted this for so long, I didn't think it would ever happen," he admitted quietly, his fingers interlocking with Cosmo's.

"Well, I'm glad it did happen." Cosmo said, his thumb gently stroking Sprout's hand. "I never thought you'd like me back.”

Sprout scoffed, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I've liked you since we were 11..”

Cosmo halted, surprise flashing across his face. "You have?" He questioned, as if it was the most absurd truth in the world.

"Yeah. I have." Sprout admitted, his heart pounding even louder in his chest. "I just... Thought you were out of my league.”

"Out of your league? Really?" Cosmo retorted, rolling his eyes. "You're rich and popular, you're the one out of my league." he let go of his hand and playfully ruffled Sprout's hair.

"Knock it off, my hair is gonna get messed up." Sprout protested half-heartedly, half smiling. "And I'm not that popular.”

"You literally have like 6 girls trying to get with you constantly." Cosmo pointed out matter-of-factly.

Sprout let out a huff, "I don't want any of them, just you." he replied bluntly.

"Good, I don't want any anyone either." Cosmo responded, interlocking their fingers again. "Just you.”

They continued walking, their hands still intertwined. The night was getting colder by the minute, and Sprout found himself leaning closer to Cosmo, seeking warmth.

Cosmo noticed him moving closer and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him in closer. Sprout couldn't help but smile, feeling the warmth of Cosmo's body against his.

"This is nice." Sprout murmured softly, feeling his heart flutter with a mixture of happiness and nervousness.

"It is." Cosmo agreed, looking at him and giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

They continued their walk in comfortable silence, and before they knew it they had reached Cosmo's house. They stood before the front door, neither wanting the moment to end.

"Well, I guess this is where I say goodbye, huh?" Sprout said, a slight tinge of sadness crept into his voice.

“I will literally see you at school tomorrow, you sap.” Cosmo chuckled.

Sprout rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I know. I just don't want this moment to end, I guess…”

"Oh, I see." Cosmo teased, leaning close to him. "Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

Sprout's cheeks flushed red. "Shut up, you dork." he said with mock annoyance, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Cosmo's smirk widened as he noticed Sprout's reddening cheeks. Without warning, he moved in and stole a quick kiss, catching Sprout off guard, "Bye, Seedly.”

Sprout's heart fluttered at the unexpected kiss, his mind going blank for a moment. He managed to stammer out a response, his heart racing. "A warning would've been nice!”

The door shut.

Sprout stood there, his heart still racing. A mixture of feelings swirled inside of him; the lingering sensation of the kiss.. and the empty feeling in his chest once Cosmo was no longer there. He took a moment to collect himself before beginning to walk back to his house.

After Cosmo shut the door he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

“I saw that y'know?” Ginger said, with her arms crossed.

A slight flush of embarrassment washed over Cosmo. "Shut up." he muttered, busying himself with taking off his shoes.

“Anyway…” She began, “AUNT DEBBIE!!”

“GINGER NO–”

Debbie practically burst out of the kitchen. "What? What happened? Are you hurt? I swear to god if you're hurt–“

“No, no I'm fine.” Ginger reassured her.

“Then why’d you yell?!” Debbie exclaimed, clearly flustered.

“Your son just kissed a guy.”

Debbie was taken aback, her face filled with surprise. "Wait, what?!”

“Yeah, outside. They were making out."

Debbie covered her mouth with her hands, "Oh my goodness..." her voice was soft and shocked, barely a whisper.

“WE WEREN'T MAKING OUT??”

Ginger snickered as she watched Cosmo turn redder by the second.

“I– It was just a quick kiss, geez.” he protested weakly, avoiding his mom’s gaze.

“I mean, I don't care what you're doing together as long as you're doing it safely…”

“WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING?”

Chapter Text

January, 2016.

Sprout had just gotten back from school, at this point he was only about 7 years old. He placed his backpack down and went into the kitchen to greet his mother.

When he entered the kitchen, he found her sitting at the table, sipping a cup of coffee while looking at her laptop. The sound of the boy's footsteps caught her attention, and she looked away from the screen, offering a warm smile..

"Hey there, Sprout." she greeted, gesturing for him to sit down beside her.

Sprout took a seat across from her, excitement evident in his eyes. "Mom, guess what happened at school today!”

She chuckled softly, pushing the laptop aside to give her son her full attention. "Alright, tell me. What happened at school today?”

Sprout beamed, practically bouncing in his seat. "I think I have a best friend.”

His mother smiled, "Oh? That's wonderful news! What makes you think that?”

Sprout's face lit up as he recounted the events of the day. "His name is Cosmo, and he's in my class. He's really good at math and science, and he's also really funny. We even sat next to each other at lunch today and played together during recess!”

She pursed her lips slightly, and hummed, “Sprout, you know you aren't supposed to be befriending people like that.”

Sprout's expression faltered slightly, the joy in his eyes dimming a bit. "What do you mean?" he asked, a trace of hurt in his voice.

She took a sip of her coffee before continuing, her tone firm but gentle, “You need to be friends with kids in our neighborhood, they're more of our status. Like Shelly or whatever the Novalite's kid is named. It's not proper for a Seedly to associate with the.. Less fortunate.”

Sprout's face fell further, confusion and hurt filling his young features, "But why? Cosmo is really nice, and I like hanging out with him.”

She sighed softly, her eyes hardening, "Because that's just how it is, Sprout. You can't be best friends with just anybody. We have an image to maintain."

She paused, studying her child's expression carefully, "You’ll understand someday.”

October, 2024.

Another week over! Cosmo set down his bookbag, and flopped into his bed. As he was getting comfy, he heard scratching at his door.

He sighed and sat up, wondering what was going on. He got up and pulled the door open, the brown cat strolled into his room, she rubbed against his legs before trailing over to her basket.

"Hey, little lady." Cosmo murmured, crouching down and scratching the cat behind the ears. The cat meowed softly, pressing her head into his hand before laying down in her basket.

Cosmo rolled her over and placed a hand on her stomach and began to pet it. (She oddly loved being pet on her stomach.) As he did, he felt something a bit off.

He felt that her stomach was a bit bigger than he remembered.. He ran his hand over the area for a moment, noting the small bump that hadn't been there before. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What's this, girl?" he murmured to himself, gently poking the bump. The cat meowed faintly, but didn't otherwise protest to the examination.

He put Munchkin down in her basket, before walking out of his room into the kitchen where his mom was.

“Mom, can you schedule a vet appointment for Munchie?” He asked.

Debbie looked up from the vegetables she was cutting at the counter and nodded, "Sure, can I ask why?”

He leaned against the door frame, "I was petting her like usual, and I felt a small bump on her stomach. I think it could be something bad..”

Debbie put down her knife and turned to face him with a look of concern on her face. "A bump? Have you noticed her gaining any weight?”

"I dunno, she's always been fat." he ran a hand through his hair, feeling worried, "I don't think she'd be pregnant, right? The farthest she's been is the back alley.”

Debbie raised an eyebrow at his comment, understanding what he was insinuating. "She was spayed when we adopted her..”

Cosmos sighed in relief, the tension in his shoulders ebbing away. "I really hope it's just weight or something and not some serious illness.”

Debbie smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry, I'll book a vet appointment for her, okay? In the meantime, how about you and Ginger go down to Al's? Halloween is coming up and you're gonna need costumes if you're gonna be giving out candy.”

Cosmo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, guess you're right about that. I'll go get Ginger."

He turned and headed down the hall to Ginger's room, knocking on the door.

He opened the door to find his cousin sitting at her desk, staring into a vanity mirror with a makeup brush in her hand.

"Hey, Ginger, we have to go down to Al's for Halloween outfits. You almost ready to go?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.

She groaned, turning around in her chair. "Already? Why can't we just order stuff online instead of going to that weird old man's store?”

He rolled his eyes, "Don't call him a weird old man. He's nice, plus his store has unique things that you wouldn't find online

She made a 'tch' sound in response, standing up. "Yeah, 'unique' is one way to put it..”

"Stop complaining." he said, rolling his eyes again. "It's just a store, not a torture chamber.”

Ginger huffed in annoyance but made her way to him anyway, "Fine, fine. Let's just get this over with.”

They made their way out of the house and down the sidewalk, passing various buildings with Halloween decorations.

The cool autumn air was refreshing to Ginger, who took a deep breath. "I really do hate Halloween." she muttered.

"I know, you've said that a million times." Cosmo retorted, glancing at her. "Why do you even hate it so much?”

Ginger scoffed, "It's dumb. You dress up in scratchy costumes and get potentially poisoned by strangers. Plus, most of the kids at our school are out egging houses.”

"The costume part I can understand, but the rest is just stereotypes. Most people won't poison anyone. And not all kids go out egging." he reasoned.

"Yeah, but they still do it. Sweetberry got it bad last year, remember?" Ginger retorted, folding her arms.

"Yeah, but that was just a few dumb kids being punks." he retorted back with an eye roll, "Most people aren't like that.”

They eventually made it to Al's Costume Store. The sign outside the shop read 'Al's Costume Shop' in bold, blocky text. Some of the windows had mannequins wearing outlandish costumes, while others had small decorations of spiders and skeletons.

They entered the store, the bell ringing. They expected to see the store owner at the counter, but he wasn't. It was instead one of their classmates, Looey.

"Hey, you guys." Looey greeted, spinning around in a wheeled chair.

Ginger smirked and leaned against the counter. "Hey Looey, why are you working here?" she asked, clearly amused.

"I work here on the weekends and after school." he replied, shrugging.

"How much does he even pay you?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“He doesn't.”

"Wait, he doesn't pay you anything? Then why do you even work here?" Cosmo asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"He's my dad." Looey responded with a sigh, leaning back in his chair.

"Your dad? As in, you're Al's son?" Cosmo's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him.

“How are you just now putting this together? Yankovic isn't a common last name.” Looey questioned.

"It never really crossed my mind." Cosmo admitted sheepishly.

They were interrupted by the sound of a door opening in the back, followed by Al emerging from the back room.

"Hey, kids." Al greeted them, smiling warmly. "I assume you're here for costumes for Halloween?”

The cousins nodded, with their responses being, "Yeah" and "Unfortunately."

Al chuckled at the difference before gesturing to a wall full of costumes, "Take your pick. I've got a wide variety and plenty of sizes.”

"Thanks, Mr. Yankovic." Cosmo said, walking over to inspect the costumes.

Looey, who had gone back to spinning in his chair, spoke up, "Hey Al, can I take a lunch break?"

"Don't call me that.”

As Looey and his dad bantered back and forth, the two of them began looking through the different costumes. There was every character imaginable. Everything from classic horror movie villains, to superheroes, to animals, to everyday things like a bowl of soup.

Who the actual FUCK is dressing up as a bowl of soup…?

Ginger eyed a vampire costume, running a hand over the red fabric of the dress. She felt the material, thinking it over for a moment.

Ginger examined the intricate details of the bodice, her fingers tracing over the corset lacing. The fabric of the skirt was soft to the touch, and she could tell it would be comfortable to wear. She admired the dress's overall gothic aesthetic, feeling like it would be perfect for Halloween.

Cosmo was a bit amused to watch Ginger get so serious about a Halloween costume. "You like that one?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think I'll go with this one." Ginger responded, her eyes still glued to the dress.

Cosmo chuckled, "Seriously? I didn't expect you to like something so... Dramatic.”

She shot him a sharp look. "How about you shut up and go get a costume?”

"Alright, alright. I'm going to go look." He held his hands up in mock surrender before walking over to the other side of the store and looking through the costumes.

He passed all sorts of different costumes. They had all sorts of characters, superheroes, movie villains, regular people. As he looked through the different options, he caught a glimpse of a familiar character.

The Phantom of The Opera.

He couldn't help but smirk as he looked at the costume, imagining himself in it. It was definitely a different choice than what he usually wore, but there was a certain allure to it.

"Why're you smirking like that?" Ginger appeared beside him, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "You find something you like?”

"Maybe." He replied, not taking his gaze off of the costume. "It's a little bit different than what I usually go for, but.." he trailed off.

Ginger followed his gaze and understood the costume he was looking at. She raised an eyebrow. "Phantom of the Opera? Really?”

"What? I think it's cool." He defended with a smirk. "Besides, it would be a change from my usual choices.”

"I just can't imagine you, of all people, dressed as the Phantom." She teased with a smirk. "You're not the dark, mysterious type, and you can't sing to save your life.”

"Hey, I could pull it off." He retorted, a hint of mock offense in his voice. "Whatever, let's just pay.”

They paid for their costumes, and as they went to leave an older man entered the store and opened the door for them. They thanked him, and walked out. As they walked out they heard him and Al begin a conversation.

“Hey, Al! How's the divorce going?”

“Terrible, thanks for asking!”

"Ugh, I'm starving." Ginger said, sighing. "Let's get something to eat before heading home."

A couple days later, it was Halloween!

The time was around 7 pm, meaning trick or treaters would be coming out soon. Cosmo and Ginger both got their costumes on.. Cosmo knew it was kinda sucky, but he decided to ditch the cape and leave it on the couch.

Their moms were both in the bakery, in case any customers came by. While they got set up in the front.

The store was lined with fake cobwebs and plastic skeletons. A cauldron was placed in a corner that had dry ice in it, for dramatic effect. The windows all had paper spiders and bats stuck to them.

Ginger was setting up the candy bowl when she noticed a group of kids heading towards the store. She called out to Cosmo, "Looks like kids are coming.”

He looked up, checking that their decorations were in place before taking his spot next to Ginger and the candy bowl.

The first kids came in, their candy bags held out. They said the classic, "Trick or treat!" as Ginger handed them each a piece of candy. The group of them moved onto the next store, and a new group came in.

"It's already starting to get busy," Cosmo noted, watching the groups walk up. He smiled at the sight of younger kids in cute costumes.

"Most of them aren't even scary or original costumes." Ginger complained. "Like, that group that just left was all Disney princesses.”

"They're just kids," He replied, rolling his eyes. "They don't have to have super scary or original costumes. Let them have fun.”

"But we had good costumes when we were kids." She protested, watching another group approach.

"You say that like we're not 16." He pointed out, chuckling as he watched a child dressed as a banana walk away.

"Whatever." She muttered, tossing some candy into a bag. Another group of trick or treaters walked away, leaving the store empty for a moment.

Then, Sprout and his younger sister walked up.

Cosmo looked a bit confused, “Wow, didn't think your parents would let you trick or treat here.”

Sprout looked embarrassed by his current situation, but he shrugged and tried to speak calmly, “They don't know. They asked me to watch Maisie while she went trick or treating, they didn't say where.”

"They probably wouldn't have let you come here anyway." Cosmo said bluntly, looking at the little girl in her costume.

Maisie was dressed in a ballerina costume, which looked pretty expensive. She had on a pink tutu with matching shoes, and her hair was in a low bun. She was also carrying a fairly large basket to collect her candy.

“I don't think we've ever met before, hi I'm Cosmo.” He greeted.

Maisie looked up at him, feeling a bit shy due to the fact that she was talking to someone who was bigger and older.

But still, she said a quick, "Hello." Her voice had a bit of a soft, childlike quality.

“So.. Maisie, that's my uh..” Sprout stuttered..

Ginger looked between them with an eyebrow quirked. "You're what, exactly?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Sprout's cheeks turned a slight shade of red as he tried to find something to say. "Well, we're..." he struggled to find the words, a nervous laugh escaping his mouth. His face was beginning to burn as he kept stumbling over his thoughts.

Cosmo rolled his eyes, “I'm his boyfriend.” He finished.

Maisie blinked a couple times, her gaze shifting between the two of them.. Before turning to her brother, "I knew you were one of those.”

"One of what, exactly?" Sprout asked, raising an eyebrow at his little sister.

Maisie gave him a look that seemed to say "You know exactly what I mean."

Sprout's face turned even redder than it had been before, and he had to look away, clearly embarrassed.

Ginger and Cosmo exchanged glances, trying to refrain from snickering. It was obvious what Maisie meant by that.

The two of them walked off, and other trick or treaters came and went for the next couple hours. Eventually, they ran out of candy and decided to call it a night.

The cousins were cleaning up. There were a few wrappers on the floor and the fake spiders and bats needed to be taken down. Cosmo started to unstick the spiders from the window, while Ginger swept the floor and put the candy bowl away.

After they finished cleaning, they went into the building and upstairs to the living room.. Where they found Munchkin laying on Cosmo's cape..

"Aww, Munchie." Cosmo chuckled, crouching down to pet the cat. As he pet her, she rolled over, revealing a litter of kittens.

"Damn, she had her babies on your costume.." Ginger mumbled, looking at the small creatures.

"Yeah.." he replied, not seeming to mind. He looked at the kittens, "Looks like there's six in total..”

"Six? That's a lot." Ginger leaned down to look at them. The kittens were all different colors, either black, white or a mix of black and white. They were all curled up on the fabric, seeking warmth.

Cosmo walked over to the stairs and shouted down them, “Hey, mom, you might wanna see this!”

After a couple moments, they heard Debbie's footsteps coming up the stairs. She appeared from the stairwell, a look of surprise on her face at the sight of the kittens.

"Oh my, those kittens look so sweet!" Debbie exclaimed, carefully walking over to them. She kneeled beside the litter of kittens, a soft smile on her face.

"I didn't know Munchie was pregnant." Cosmo commented, scratching the mother cat behind her ears.

"Neither did I.. We were told she was spayed." Debbie replied, gently petting one of the kittens who seemed startled by the sudden motion.

"I guess they didn't do the job properly.." Ginger said, watching the kittens wiggle around.

"I guess not.." Debbie sighed, shaking her head softly. Then she gave a weak smile, "They're so cute though, so I don't even care.”

"What are we gonna do with them, though?" Cosmo asked, looking at all the new kittens.

"I don't know.. We'll have to keep them til they're old enough to be adopted." Debbie answered, her eyes softening at the kittens.

"That's gonna be awhile, they were just born after all." Ginger commented, picking up one of the kittens with delicate, but confident, hands.

Munchkin proceeded to get up and take the kitten back to the litter, where the kittens began to eat.

"I guess she doesn't want you to hold them.." Debbie said with an amused tone.

"Yeah, she's very protective." Cosmo agreed, watching as the kittens latched on to their mother and began nursing.

"She'll be a good mama.." Debbie said with a soft smile, watching the kittens cling to Munchkin.

Chapter Text

“Goodmorning, Gardenview students,” The intercom rang, “This morning we have a very special announcement.”

Vee sat in her chair with perfect posture as she logged onto her laptop, barely paying any attention to the announcement.

“Today, we are taking candidates for our student body president, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary!” The speaker informed, “Please, come to the front office to sign up if you'd like.”

Vee didn't care, she’d been the treasurer since freshman year. There was no competition, she was always voted in. She figured she’d swing by and sign up after class.

Every year her team always won. Dandy as President (Unfortunately), Shelly as Vice President, herself as Treasurer, and Astro as Secretary.

They were truly a team that was hard to beat, year after year they pulled through and won the majority… Even if Dandy was objectively pretty dumb and spent most of his time in the run-down bathroom with his illegal drugs or whatever.

Once class ended she and the other members met up and headed down to the front office to secure their sign ups.

"Ugh, I hate this weather.." Shelly complained, looking up at the overcast sky. The weather was chilly and slightly overcast. It was clear it was already winter, and winter was going to suck.

"It's not that bad." Astro reassured her, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

"No weather is bad to you, all you do is sleep." she retorted with a scoff. They arrived at the front office, and the four of them headed up to the sign-up sheet.

Dandy quickly signed his name, as usual without a care in the world. "This is going to be the same as usual," he said smugly, "We all just win, like always.”

“Well, you know how our school works.” Vee said, taking her turn signing in, “The majority of the kids here are rich assholes and the others are just too scared to run against us.”

Suddenly, the door to the office swung open, 5 minutes before the bell and out stepped someone they'd never seen before. It was a fairly short girl, with brown hair worn in 2 braided pigtails and green eyes.

Followed behind her, were 2 more students, one a girl with chocolate brown hair, the other a boy with blonde hair with blue highlights.

“Excuse me, is this where we sign up for the election?” The green-eyed girl asked in a soft voice.

The four of them turned to look at the new kids, their expressions ranging from uninterested to suspicious.

Dandy was the first one to speak up, "Are you new here?" His tone was bored and almost irritated.

"Yes, we just transferred from Greenhouse Prep." The girl responded softly, the shyness was obvious in her voice, "I'm Bassie.”

"Right.." Dandy said, his expression unamused.

Shelly, who was standing beside him, smiled at Bassie. "Welcome to Gardenview!”

At Shelly's greeting, Bassie's gaze shifted to Shelly, surprise flickering across her features at Shelly’s welcoming. "Thanks..." she said softly, her eyes darting between Shelly's pleasant expression and the opposite on Dandy's face.

“So, you're signing up for the student council?” Vee asked, crossing her arms.

Bassie turned her gaze towards Vee, a subtle wave of unease washing over her.

"Yes, we are." The girl with chocolate brown hair responded this time, stepping up to take the lead in the conversation. "I'm Cocoa, this is Flyte," she gestured to the boy with blonde highlights, who gave a small nod. "We're all running for student council positions.”

The four of them exchanged glances, before turning their attention back to the three transfers.

"Well, you need 4 to make a team to run, so.." Vee replied with a shrug.

Bassie and Cocoa both nodded in understanding, while Flyte remained quiet with a curious look in his eyes. After a moment, Bassie spoke up, "We do have a fourth member, actually.”

"You do?” Dandy said, his eyebrows raising. “Well, where is he? Hiding in the hallway?" sarcasm was evident in his voice.

Cocoa rolled her eyes at the subtle jibe, but it didn't seem to faze her. "She didn't want to come inside.” Her voice was tinged with the hint of annoyance. She gestured to the door, "She's waiting outside.”

“C'mon guys, let's just go.. The bell’s gonna ring any second..” Astro added, in his usual quiet tone.

"Right.." Dandy relented with a sigh, finally conceding. The four of them walked out of the office, just in time to hear the final warning bell ring out.

They stepped out of the office, watching as the other students made their way to second period. Yet, the group just stood there nervously.

“What're we gonna do?” Shelly asked, with her head down.

“Pssh, nothing. We win every year.” Vee reminded, crossing her arms.

"Yeah! What's some new people going to do?" Dandy scoffed.

"They're going to at least put up some sort of fight.." Astro countered weakly, always being the doubtful one among the four.

“Then we'll just put up a bigger fight.” The girl with green hair shrugged, “Easy.”

Dandy nodded along with Vee's statement, "Exactly.. We always win, we'll manage it again this year." He said matter-of-factly.

The next day at school, everyone was talking about the new kids– how they had just transferred and already decided to take charge and possibly overtake the school’s “hierarchy” of sorts..

The four of them were gathered at a table in the school cafeteria, sitting together as students chattered and gossiped around them.

"Can you believe this?" Dandy said, sounding annoyed. "All anyone is talking about is the new kids.”

"Well, you gotta admit, they're brave for taking us on." Shelly noted, taking a sip of her juice.

"More like stupid." Vee muttered, stabbing at her food with a fork.

Sprout walked over to sit with them, as usual, and rested his chin on his hand looking at the three of them mischievously. “So, are the rumors true? Is there seriously a team running against you?” He asked.

Dandy's annoyance grew, "Unfortunately, yes." He grumbled, "It's those new kids that just transferred here. They think they can take us on? Fat chance.”

"Exactly." Vee agreed fervently, "We've won every year since freshman year. We're not about to lose because of some new rich kids.”

"They're definitely different from the usual kids who run here though," Astro said thoughtfully, "From the little I've seen, they seem like they have some actual intelligence, and they actually have a backbone. They're not scared.”

Dandy's annoyance seemed to grow with each passing moment. "Yeah, I noticed that as well. They've got more spine than the rest of the students here. But that doesn't matter." He leaned forward, a confident glint in his eyes. "We've still got the advantage in terms of reputation.”

“But for how much longer?” The sleepy blue-eyed boy argued.

Dandy frowned at Astro's comment. "What do you mean for how much longer? We've got power, influence, popularity." He listed off, almost arrogantly.

"And we're not lacking in money, either," Vee added with a smirk.

"Exactly." Dandy nodded. "We're practically untouchable, at least in this school. These new kids don't have a chance.”

“I guess we'll find out at the campaign speeches.” Sprout shrugged, before getting up and walking away.

Dandy huffed in frustration, watching as Sprout walked away.

"That guy gets more annoying every day." He grumbled.

Shelly smacked his arm, "Oh, come on, you know you secretly like him."

Dandy rolled his eyes, "He's my cousin, I kinda have to.”

There was a moment of silence before Vee spoke up. "Well, anyway, he's right. We will find out when the campaign speeches are tomorrow. Hopefully, these new kids will get a dose of reality then.”

"Mhm." Dandy agreed, his annoyance still present. "And we'll meet this mysterious 4th member.”

"I've been dying to know who it is." Shelly admitted. "All anyone knows is that she's a girl."

"I wonder what she's like." Astro chimed in.

Before they knew it, it was the next day and time for the campaign speeches. They were all dressed in fancy, designer clothing to make a good impression.

The speeches were taking place in the cafeteria, which had been decorated with all sorts of student council campaign decorations.

Dandy, Shelly, Vee, and Astro were all seated on the side of the stage, looking out at the sea of students sitting before them, waiting for the speeches to begin.

Dandy, ever the confident one, looked rather relaxed, but Shelly seemed more nervous than usual.

The principal, Ms. Keen, walked out and stood in front of the microphone. She adjusted her glasses and tapped the microphone before clearing her throat.

"Good morning, students." Her voice rang out, silencing the crowd.

"As you are all no doubt aware, today are our yearly student council speeches, in which candidates give their reasons as to why they should be voted in.”

The principal continued to go through the standard beginning of the event, listing off rules and such.

Dandy yawned and leaned back in his chair, clearly bored. Shelly fidgeted with the hem of her dress, her eyes darting around the room. Vee sat as stoic and as composed as always. And Astro remained calm and quiet, listening intently.

“Without further ado, here are our candidates for Student body President,” She began, in her signature calm voice.

Her eyes fell on Dandy as she motioned for him to come up, “First, Dandy Keen.” She announced, before stepping away from the microphone.

(YES I KNOW DANDY’S LAST NAME IN GAME IS DANCIFUR BUT IN THIS HE’S DELILAH’S SON SO IDFC.)

Dandy sauntered up to the microphone, standing there confidently as he faced the sea of students. He gave a charming smile and a wave, and some people in the crowd cheered and clapped.

"Hello, everyone!" He began with a confident tone, glancing across the crowd. "As you know, my name is Dandy Keen. You also all know that I've been your student council president since freshman year.”

He paused for a moment, a smirk creeping up on his face. "And for good reason!" He said smugly, "Because I've done a heck of a job."

There were a few more claps and some excited faces in the crowd, which only fueled his ego further.

"I've been able to bring in tons of new funding into the school." He continued, his tone taking on an almost arrogant edge. "I've organized events, improved infrastructure, and I even managed to get the school a brand new auditorium and track field."

There were even more cheers now, and Dandy seemed to be eating up all the applause. Shelly and Vee watched from the sides, Shelly still looking a bit nervous and Vee looking pleased.

"And I intend to do even more for our great school!" He proclaimed, his tone still cocky. "If you vote for me as president this year, I guarantee that our school will see even more improvement and success!"

The students cheered again, and Dandy seemed satisfied with the response he was getting. He glanced over at Shelly and Vee, who gave him subtle thumbs up and smirked. Astro just watched silently.

"So make sure to vote for me, Dandy Keen, for student body president." He said, "And as the old saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it." He winked, before adjusting his tie and sitting down.

The principal returned to the microphone and smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Keen." She said, before glancing down at the list of candidates in front of her. "Now, up next we have our other candidate for President,” She raised her hands towards the right wing of the stage, “Bassie Bloomington.”

Bassie walked out, looking pretty confident despite the fact that everyone's eyes seemed to be on her.

She took a deep breath and stepped up to the mic, her expression calm and collected. "Good morning, everyone." She began, her voice just loud enough to hear.

The crowd seemed a bit surprised at how soft-spoken she was, and some people muttered amongst themselves. Shelly and Vee both raised an eyebrow, and Dandy looked rather amused.

Bassie seemed undeterred by the crowd, continuing on with her speech. "My name is Bassie, and I'm running for student body president because I believe I can bring some meaningful change to our school."

She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. The room was quiet, everyone waiting in anticipation of what she would say next.

"I know that being new here and running for president is a bit bold.." She admitted, her eyes flickering across the crowd as she spoke. "But I ask that you give me a chance."

It got a bit quieter, a bit more people were listening now. Bassie took it as a good sign and continued on, her confidence beginning to show through her words more.

“Now, what my competition failed to mention is that he has done nothing to improve this school since Freshman year. In fact, all he's really done is hang out in the abandoned bathroom at lunch.” She argued, faking an upset voice, glancing at Dandy during her last sentence.

The crowd laughed at the subtle jab, and Shelly bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as well. Dandy, however, didn't find it amusing at all. He clenched his jaw and clenched his fists, looking slightly annoyed by her comment.

Bassie's lips curled up into a small smirk for a split second as she saw his annoyance, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

"So in my opinion.." She continued, keeping her attention on the crowd, "I think it's time for some fresh faces in our council.”

“If I am elected, I will improve our school at a relatively quick rate.” She promised, “That includes adding more areas for lunch, adding vending machines to the lunchroom, and more.”

She leaned forward slightly before making her last point, “All starting with restoring the abandoned bathroom near the lunchroom.”

There were even more laughs and even a couple cheers at her last point. And at that, Dandy didn't look annoyed anymore, he looked mad. He was glaring daggers at the girl standing at the microphone with a look that clearly said I'll get you back for that.

Bassie took a bow and walked back to the wing of the stage as Ms. Keen stepped back up to the microphone.

"Thank you, Bassie." The Principle said, smiling warmly. "Alright then, up next is our candidates for Vice President."

"Starting with Bassie's campaign," She continued, "Please welcome Bobette Merriton.”

Dandy's hand immediately covered his mouth, his eyes widened in shock as he stepped back.

Everyone was shocked, but Dandy looked completely crushed. He felt his body begin to shake as he stared at the girl on stage.

Bobette. Bobette fucking Merriton. One of his very best friends.

Shelly stared in surprise, while Vee looked almost amused, a slight smirk on her face.

Astro looked over at his boyfriend, seeing that he was clearly in distress.

"Hey, hey.. Dandy, are you–?" He whispered, concerned.

Dandy didn't reply, his gaze was just blankly fixated on the girl at the microphone. He felt like he could pass out at any moment, how in all the world could she have possibly agreed to run against him? They knew each other since elementary school!

Was she truly going to go through with this? Was she seriously going to run against him and try to take his spot away? She was one of his best friends, she wouldn't be that cruel. Right?

He wanted to confront her right then and there, to march over and demand answers, but the words were stuck in his throat. He kept watching, unable to bring himself to interrupt the speech.

He removed his hand from his mouth as he felt it become harder to breathe as his heart pounded in his chest. He felt his eyes become blurry, and every sound around him become incoherent. So, he couldn't hear Astro speaking to him.

He didn't even register Shelly's gentle hand on his shoulder, nor did he notice Vee trying to get his attention.

He was completely frozen in place, his mind and heart were racing as the only thought that echoed in his mind was, how could she do this to me?

He felt like he was going to cry, or scream, or throw up. He felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Astro looked extremely worried, and was at a loss on what to do.

"Dandy.." he whispered, trying to get his attention. "Dandy, hey.. Hey, look at me..”

It took a moment for him to respond, but he eventually lifted his head slightly so he was looking in Astro's general direction. His breathing was heavy and shaky, and he was trying his best to hold back the tears.

"Hey, I need you to focus for me.." Astro kept his tone soft, speaking in a low voice as to not draw too much attention. "Can you take a deep breath for me?”

Dandy couldn't understand, his brain was going a million miles a second, he couldn't understand anything all he could do was… Try to escape? He felt his breathing get more erratic, before practically sprinting out of the fire exit behind the stage.

"...Damn it." Astro muttered, seeing him run off. Shelly and Vee both looked shocked, before looking at Astro.

"Go after him." Shelly urged, "We'll deal with the speeches."

Astro just nodded and ran out of the fire exit, going after him.

Once he was outside, he looked around and saw Dandy sitting under a tree a good few yards away, his knees tucked tightly against his chest and his face buried in his arms.

Astro quickly made his way over, sitting down next to him quietly. "Hey.." He said softly, gently placing a hand on his back.

There was no response. Dandy didn't even move, he just trembled slightly under the touch.

Astro sighed and scooted closer, taking off the starry blanket he always had on him and draping it over his boyfriend.

"I understand why you're upset, I really do.." He said, wrapping an arm around him gently.

Dandy still said nothing, the only sound coming from him was his uneven, rapid, and shaky breathing. Astro just sat there with him quietly, rubbing small, comforting circles on his back.

It was silent for awhile, with the exception of the leaves rustling and the wind lightly blowing.

Dandy was still in the same position, his knees pulled up against his chest and his face buried in his arms. He still trembled every now and then, and his breathing was still coming out in short little gasps.

Astro held him close, and felt his heart ache at the way he seemed so broken down, so vulnerable. Never in his life had he seen Dandy react like this. He was usually confident and charismatic, a business man.

He always seemed in control, always calm and collected. Never had he ever seen him like this, completely shattered by something.

Astro's grip on him tightened slightly, his arm around him pulling him closer. He could practically hear the thoughts racing through his head, could feel the way his body trembled, could sense the way he was trying to stay strong.

But it was pointless, they both knew. It was obvious how he was feeling right now, he was hurting.

And all Astro could do was sit there. He couldn't think of anything to say, any words of comfort that could make all the pain go away. He could just be here, silently comforting him with his touch and hoping that this would all end alright.

He just sat there with him, his arm gently rubbing his back, the blanket still wrapped around him.

He didn't say a word, and neither did Dandy. They just sat there, one trying his best to comfort him, and the other just trying his best not to fall completely apart.

A minute passed, two, five, ten, and still there were no words said between them. Just silence, broken only by the sound of rustling leaves and a soft breeze.

Astro still had his arm wrapped around him, still rubbing small, slow circles on his back as he tried to bring him some comfort.

After 20 minutes, the shaking seemed to slow down. His breathing still came out shaky, but it was becoming more and more clear that he was gradually calming down.

Astro took this as a good sign, and pulled him a little bit closer, gently holding him against him as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm here." He whispered, still keeping his voice soft and quiet.

Dandy didn't respond right away, but he did lean against him slightly, his head now resting against his chest. Astro took it as a good sign, a sign that he wanted the comfort.

So he continued gently running a hand through his hair while keeping an arm wrapped around him, holding him close, almost protectively.

Another couple minutes passed with them sitting like this, neither speaking and just enjoying the feeling of closeness. It was clear that Dandy was no longer shaking and his breathing had become more even, although the occasional shudder came every now and then.

Astro was still in the same position, holding him close and gently running his fingers through his hair. He could almost feel the tension that had seemed to consume him earlier slipping away.

"I'm tired.." came a soft, hoarse, and quiet voice eventually, spoken in the form of a small whisper.

Astro was startled slightly by the fact that he had finally spoken, but he still spoke softly and replied, "I know you are.."

Dandy closed his eyes, burying his head in his boyfriends chest. "I want to go home.." He mumbled against his shirt.

Astro's heart ached at the smallness in his voice, the tiredness in his words. He held him a little bit closer, gently running his fingers through his curls and saying softly, "I know you do..”

Then, they heard a bark coming from above them, and saw Sprout standing there holding the infamous Pebble.

Immediately Dandy’s eyes lit up as the pomeranian jumped on him and began to lick him.

Astro laughed slightly as he watched the dog climb on Dandy, licking him affectionately.

Dandy slowly lifted his head and let the dog lick his face, a small smile appearing on his face, "Hey, Pebble.." he said softly, gently rubbing the dog's head.

Astro chuckled, seeing the small smile on his face, and glad that he seemed to be lightening up a bit. "Looks like he missed you.”

Dandy nodded, gently scooping up the dog and holding him in his arms. He seemed a bit more like his usual self, although a bit more tired now.

Pebble seemed very happy to be cuddled in his arms, and he made his famous whimpering sound as he licked him.

Astro chuckled again, amused by the sight of Dandy with the dog. "Feeling a bit better?" He asked softly, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.

Dandy nodded slightly, still holding the Pomeranian in his arms. "Yeah.." he said softly, his voice still a bit hoarse from all the crying earlier. "Having Pebble around really helps."

He looked down at the dog in his arms, a few small but genuine smiles appearing on his face as Pebble excitedly licked his nose, clearly happy to be in his arms.

Astro chuckled, before looking up at Sprout, "How'd you know we were here?”

"Shelly called me." Sprout responded with a small grin, scratching the back of his head slightly.