Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Leave me alone,’ Cole muttered under his breath, glaring at this alarm contemptuously. He groaned in exasperation and finally shut it off, fumbling with the buttons for longer than he wanted to admit. Maybe staying up all night playing video games was not the best option on a school night. He blamed Lloyd.

He looked at himself in the mirror for a second, mentally preparing for the day that seemed to stretch out in front of him. He could visibly see the lack of sleep in his eyes.

Dreadful.

He pulled on a grey hoodie and jeans, and splashed cold water on his face in an attempt to wake himself up. He still felt dead inside. And now he was slightly damp.

A knock on the door startled him, and he rushed down the stairs, grabbing his bag from the counter. ‘I’m coming!’ he yelled. ‘Keep your pants on.’ He could almost hear the eye roll on the other side of the door.

He opened it with a grin ‘Hey, man.’ He greeted enthusiastically, despite feeling like all his organs were about to give up on him.

Lloyd glared at him, his blond mop of hair falling across his forehead ‘Took your time, dude’ he said, sounding equally as unimpressed.

‘At least I showed up,’ Cole joked as they swung out of his driveway and onto the road, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Lloyd rolled his eyes, ‘I guess.’ 

Cole let out a quick laugh. ‘Where is Kai, really?’ Lloyd shrugged, ‘he’s saying he’s sick, but I'm pretty sure he’s just bunking off to hang out with Skylor. ’

Cole pulled a face. ‘That jerk,’ he said.

Lloyd laughed ‘Just a guess’ he said ‘Want a donut?’

Cole gasped, ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

Lloyd handed him a paper bag ‘I know you too well, man’ Cole took a bite and sighed, the flavour making up for his miserable night's sleep. ‘I love you so much,’ Lloyd shot him a withering glare, ‘That was a fiver. You owe me.’

Cole ignored him, ‘and besides, how am I meant to keep up this fine physique without you feeding me up?’ he said, flexing for added effect. Lloyd pushed him, an amused glint in his eye ‘fine physique? Believe what you want to believe, I guess.’ Cole’s mouth hung open ‘Hey!’ he protested.

Cole sat in the back row during math class, doodling on a blank page and running through the entire gameplay of the last video game he played in his head to pass the time. Math sucked. He didn’t even remember why he took it. His mom had been good at math, though, he recalled.

‘Move over, nerd,’ came a voice from above him. He looked up, a grin already spreading across his face. ‘Finally decided to show up, huh?’ he teased. Kai smirked, sinking beside him. ‘Not too much, some of us actually have game, you know?’ Cole felt a quick stab of anxiety before pulling himself together, forcing the relaxed exterior back before it slipped.

‘Hey!’ he complained. Kai rolled his eyes, 'and your fifth-grade girlfriend you had for two days doesn’t count.'

Cole glared at him.

‘Maybe I’m just super mysterious, and don’t like to disclose my personal life to everyone in a six-mile radius’

Kai clutched his heart in mock pain, 'You’re mean today.’

Cole sighed, ‘Lloyd's fault, I’m dying inside’

Kai laughed, ‘You are so dramatic... man up,’ he teased. Cole elbowed him, 'says you- Mr. Storms Off When He Loses During Practice’ Kai began to say something and then trailed off, ‘Okay, yeah. You got me there’ Cole cackled too loudly.

‘Cole!’ Mr Borg said sharply, ‘For the love of god, will you do your work?’

Cole fell silent, glancing at Kai in amusement. Kai shrugged at him, ‘So… Math? What’s up with that?’

After Kai was forcefully escorted out of the lesson, after failing to prove he was a math student (‘If you’re really a student in my class, feel free to tell me what fifteen times twelve is’), Cole was subjected to alone time again. Something he did not enjoy. Too many things to think about that he’d been successfully putting off for quite some time. The door handle rattled, immediately drawing his attention away from his work (well, work was a strong word)

‘So sorry I’m late,’ came a shaky voice from the front of the classroom ‘They messed up my timetable and-’

‘No worries, your grace’ came Mr. Borg’s voice, ‘take a seat at the back, next to… Mr. Brookstone.'

And just like that, he had been saved. Saved by an angel with gold hoop earrings and a light blue tank top. She hurried over, a relieved smile on her face.

Cole stiffened and moved up to make room for her.

‘Hey,’ she said through a breath out, taking the seat next to him, ‘I’m Vania.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Vania… like Princess Vania?... like Vania of Shintaro, that Vania?’

She let out a small laugh, her cheeks turning pink. ‘Yes, but keep it down,’ she murmured, ‘I don’t want to get followed around in the hallways. ’ Cole laughed again, then stopped abruptly after receiving yet another disapproving glare from Mr. Borg.

‘So, you’re new, right?’ he said, tilting his head toward her and attempting to drop his voice to a whisper. She giggled angelically, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders. ‘Yeah, Dad wanted rid of me, so I guess I come here now!’ she joked.

Cole raised an eyebrow ‘I can feel that’

She met his gaze.

‘Yeah… it kinda sucks.’

Cole smiled and turned back to staring at his empty notepad.

She frowned ‘Need help with that?’ she asked.

Cole looked at her in shock ‘Do you actually… know what’s going on?’

She smirked, holding up a completed paper, an A* grade at the top written in red ink. Cole stared in disbelief. ‘A genius and a princess… who are you?’ he said, mouth hanging open.

She smiled brightly, snatching his paper off him.

By the time the bell rang, Cole was smiling. Making new friends had always been easy for him - and helped offset how achingly dull the rest of high school was. He had always been the kid who waved at the new kid first, who offered a spare pen and a seat at his lunch table like it was second nature.

And Princess Vania? nothing more interesting than royalty who'd somehow ended up at public school. He had a feeling she was going to bring more than just high grades and perfect hair to his math lessons. He approached his locker and began to unpack his books- but before he could even register what was happening, he felt something solid slam into his side. He tumbled backwards, pushing back into a crowd of people.

‘Kai!?!’ he exclaimed, ‘you fucking winded me!’ Kai’s laughter rang in his ears.

‘We have practice, airhead, hurry up!’

Cole slung an arm around his neck ‘Alright, alright, you douche.’

Kai fought against him, shoving him off. ‘We need our goalie,’ he said with a smirk. A girl behind them shot them an irritated look, and Cole could almost hear the judgment.

He grimaced. Sometimes, he hated that they probably came across just like future frat-bros with no regard for anyone else and insane superiority complexes. Cole felt a pang of guilt and attempted to give her an apologetic look, but she was already gone. He rubbed his face with his hands.

Why was he making up things to feel bad about? He had enough to deal with already.

Plus, he definitely was not a future frat bro. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say the same for Kai.

He laughed and began to follow Kai around the back to the gym, who had broken out into a mischievous sprint and left him standing on his own in the doorway.

‘Oi!’ he yelled, ‘GET BACK HERE, YOU DICK’

Practice went fairly smoothly; he managed to save three out of the five attempts at goals. Although by the end, Cole’s skates dug into his ankles, and he was desperate just to go home. He felt like he could sleep forever. Maybe longer. 

‘Good game,’ came Lloyd’s affirmative voice from the other end of the pitch.

He skated towards him ‘Well played, Cole,’ he said with a grin, twirling his stick in his hands. ‘Thanks, man,’ he replied, ‘fancy a beer and a chill at my house later?’

Lloyd shook his head. ‘I’d love to, but I’ve got some things to deal with at home right now.’

Cole frowned ‘You good? You didn’t mention that earlier,’ Lloyd’s smile didn’t reach his eyes ‘was trying not to think about it, he said, ‘but yeah, I’m fine’ Cole gave him an affectionate pat on the back, ‘It’ll be okay, kid’ he said. They filed into the locker room, shoulders pushing against each other.

‘You busy checking out my abs or what?’

Cole looked up with a jerk ‘Huh?’ he asked, his stomach turning.

Kai rolled his eyes ‘I’ve been saying your name for about ten minutes, dickwad.’

Cole shrugged ‘Sorry, I was zoned out.’

Kai laughed, ‘I could tell, buddy.’ Cole pulled a sour face at him and began to get changed. Kai sighed, obviously giving up on their conversation. ‘Anyway. As I was saying,’ he turned to talk to the circle sitting around them.

Cole didn’t know any of the boys too well, but he thought they seemed alright. There was Jay, the right winger - a short pale boy with sharp features and freckles covering his face who seemed to have voice box louder than anyone else on the team, his best friend Zane who played left wing, a lanky quiet kid with ice white hair that contrasted his dark skin tone and eyes – who Cole found to be increasingly peculiar the more conversations he had with him, then there was Cinder, a defensive player, who had ashy hair that seemed to have a mind of its own, and always smelt like cigarettes. He mostly kept to himself, occasionally contributing a snarky remark to the group conversation. Lastly, there was Arin, a shy kid who was in the year below them, who had spent most of his time as a benchwarmer. Obviously, there was also Kai, who was another winger, and Lloyd, the team captain, who took centre position.

Cole definitely wasn’t an antisocial person, but he found it particularly difficult to bond with the boys in the team, aside from Lloyd and Kai; they were just such a different array of people.

Although he did get on with Tox – another defence player and the only girl on the team, who obviously couldn’t participate in these locker-room conversations. Cole felt her absence; the lack of her easy-going, chilled-out conversation made things harder. There were other people on the team whom Cole didn't know as well. Last year had been worse. There were players whom Cole definitely had no interest in befriending at the time. Morro and his trail of minions were definitely not a good option for casual social interaction. Thankfully, they had quit the team after Coach had cracked down on violent behaviour during practice.  

He broke out of his daydream for the second time to hear Kai saying ‘-But oh my god, she is hot,’ a stupid grin plastered on his face, ‘the lucky son of a bitch that gets to sit next to her in class is my nemesis.’

Cinder had an amused look on his face ‘don’t you have a girlfriend, dude?’

Kai shrugged, ‘Me and Skylor are keeping it casual for now,’ he said, ‘you know how it is.’

Cinder laughed coldly. ‘Sure,’

Cole frowned. ‘Who are you talking about?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you hear? The Princess of Shintaro has moved to our fucking school,’ Kai said, ‘and she’s hot’ Cole cringed; he hated when Kai talked about girls like that. ‘Uh…Okay. Cool,’ he said, internally flinching at his words. Way to go, Cole! Let’s make everything awkward. 

Kai pinched his cheek '... Does someone have a crush?’ he teased. Cole pushed him off, laughing ‘Get off, idiot.’ Jay cackled, grabbing Kai’s arm ‘Lay off him, you menace.’ Kai moved past to wrestle with him instead. Cole brushed himself off, self-consciously smoothing his wrinkled hoodie

‘How can I have a crush on her? I don’t even know her.’ he challenged indignantly.

Kai grinned, pushing Jay away for the final time, who fell into Zane. ‘I just have a feeling,’ he said.

Cole snorted at the absurdity of it all, ‘Alright, Mr. Romantic.’

The door swung open, and Coach Folson stepped into the room, a stern look on his face. ‘Good game, boys’ he said ‘but we need to step things up if we are going to play Highridge Academy next month’ He looked around the room, before eyeing his victim ‘Bentho, I’m sorry, but I’m benching you for the next few weeks and the game – you aren’t playing at the level that we need, I’m going to have to find someone to fill your position’

Bentho’s face fell, and Cole felt bad for the kid; he had just made the team a few months ago, and it wasn’t fair to ask this much of him already. ‘Coach, I swear I can get better by the-’

Coach Folson cut him off. ‘Yeah, and I’ll quit my dead-end job and pursue my lifelong dream of being a news cameraman,’ he said with an eye roll, before turning and walking out of the room.

‘What the hell is his problem?’ Jay said, glancing at the others, a look of genuine concern on his face.

Cole had never been more thankful to be alone in his life, ‘Dad?’ he called up the stairs. No reply.

He set his things down on the table and walked to the kitchen to make a snack. He scanned the rows of food – not a very appealing selection, and a very clear lack of cake, which was never a positive sign. He sighed and accidentally looked at the picture of his mother on the counter for a second too long. He could already feel the stab of pain coming in his chest. Fuck. He needed a distraction.

He jumped as he got a phone notification.

He picked it up and read the banner.

‘Hey, it’s Vania! Let me know when you want to study together :)’

Saved by the angel of interference, yet again. He forgot they had even exchanged numbers, but it wasn’t unwelcome; he thought he felt a connection to her even in their brief conversation. He decided to text back, ‘tomorrow’s fine for me. I finish art at lunch, thanks.’ He pondered for a moment, then hit send. There was some naïve part of him that couldn’t help but hope, maybe it could be different this time. He laughed dryly, out loud. Sure.

Chapter Text

Vania’s anxiety subsided when she finally got a response.

‘Tomorrow’s fine for me. I finish art at lunch, thanks.’

Dry, but at least it was something. She couldn’t help but smile; her days of constant worry were pointless; she had made a friend on the first day. She lay in bed, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in months; the torture of being alone was finally over.

Her father thought that throwing her into a public school would be a good punishment for his growing resentment against her, but she felt as though it was finally her chance to be happy. Years of solitude take their toll on someone, especially when that someone is a teenage girl who longs for connection. Her first day was overwhelming, to say the least, but it was something. After years of nothing, an emotionally distant father, her only friends being the white walls of her room and the occasional female friendship picked out specifically for her - she finally felt whole again.

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, sleep coming swiftly to her - for once.

She woke up fairly easily, the golden rays of the sun shining in through her windows and the melody of birdsong drifting into her room and stirring her from sleep. The hardest part of all of this was trying to find something casual to wear. She settled on some of her mother’s old clothes again. She had borrowed a tank top and jeans the day before, and this time she settled on a flowing floral dress in a shade of light pink. She hummed as she brushed through her golden hair, contemplating the day ahead of her.

She knew she had chemistry in the morning with Dr.LaRow, who was reportedly a bit of a… well, Vania didn’t like to curse, but let’s say she had been dreading this lesson since she saw her timetable for the first time.

‘Your Majesty’ came a voice from outside her door. ‘You are going to be late.’

She chewed on her lip, adding the finishing touches to her makeup, 'and… coming!’ she exclaimed, packing up and twirling out the door, catching up with the palace guards who were escorting her to school.

Chemistry was awful.

She was beginning to understand why people hated school. Even her years of private tutoring couldn’t save her on this one. Dr.LaRow talked at an exceptional speed with an irritating nasal voice, and nothing she said made even a remote bit of sense. She didn’t realise how hard she was frowning as she walked away from the class, books clutched in her arms.

The sound of the bell was still ringing in her ears, and she couldn’t seem to rid her mind of all the numbers and questions she had just been flooded with. At least she was going to study with Cole now. The thought made her giddy with excitement. He seemed like the most genuine person Vania had ever spoken to, and it made him almost comforting to be around.

She arrived at the cafeteria and quickly spotted him. He was in the middle of what seemed like an intense conversation with a boy who had light brown hair that was messily spiked upwards and tanned skin. He was wearing a red sports jersey that had the name ‘Smith’ written across the back. Vania recognised him by the fact he always seemed to be sporting a mischievous grin or teasing someone whenever Vania saw him around.

She waited for the other boy to leave before approaching cautiously. She wasn’t used to this cold, jittery feeling that overtook her when she spoke to people. Greeting visitors at the palace doors used to be her favourite part of the day.

‘Hi,’ she greeted Cole.

He looked up at her, a smile spreading across his face, and Vania’s stomach fluttered nervously.

‘Hey!’ he said. She smiled and sat down opposite him ‘So are we going to do the work here?’ she asked. He shrugged ‘Sure’ he said ‘everyone’s starting to leave anyway’ She started to unpack her stuff ‘So what are we learning today, genius princess?’ She let out a chuckle ‘Well, I’ve got chemistry homework to do, so I might have to tutor you math another day.’

He frowned, ‘damn, maybe I should actually do some work myself’ Vania held back another laugh, ‘I’ll finish mine, and I’ll help you after, deal?’ He nodded, giving her a crooked smile, ‘deal.’ After a while, she helped Cole with his math homework, which almost gave her a migraine since he was clearly no mathematician. She looked at him, confused ‘So you took subjects like art, drama, and… math? What was the decision behind that? He shrugged, ‘I have no idea.’

She shook her head in disbelief, and he laughed loudly. She glanced at him when he wasn’t looking; he was handsome, she admitted. His shoulder-length black hair fell perfectly, he had the warmest smile Vania had ever seen, and obviously, the guy was ripped. Maybe she should be trying to flirt with him or something. The girls back at the palace used to teach her about it in order to "prepare her for talking to a hot guy in the future."

After they finished, he offered to walk her to her lesson, but she declined; she had a free period anyway. They said their goodbyes and arranged another time to study together, and Vania had to fight not to jump up and down excitedly.

She turned to leave, but she felt a sharp grab at her arm, and she jolted backwards. She turned in surprise to see two girls at either side of her. The girl to her left looped an arm through hers.

‘Oh my god,’ said the girl to her right, ‘are you like totally dating Cole Brookstone already?’

Vania's mouth hung open in confusion, ‘wha- no- '

'Who even are you!?’ she exclaimed.

The girl to her right gave her a slightly malicious grin.

‘I’m Harumi,’ she introduced herself ‘You are, like, so pretty,’ she added. Vania began to reply, but she was immediately cut off,

'I’m Skylor.' The other girl smiled, less threateningly, ‘You’re new, right?’

Vania could do nothing but nod. Harumi interlinked their arms and began to guide her towards the doors. She was stunningly beautiful; her shining platinum hair was tied up in a loose bun, and her makeup was completely flawless. Vania couldn't tell if she was jealous or in awe. She was wearing a green dress that flowed down to her ankles, which made her ice blue eyes stand out intensely. 

Skylor was also just as gorgeous, her red pulled back into a neat ponytail -except for the pieces framing her delicate features.

‘No, you’re definitely dating him,’ Skylor insisted, turning back to Harumi. ‘Kai's best friends with him, and he said he’s totally been acting different.’

Harumi gasped, ‘There’s no way, Cole’s been off limits since like middle school, trust me. I’ve tried,’ she said, crinkling her nose. ‘I thought he was, like, waiting for the right woman for marriage or something.’

Skylor shot her a confused glance ‘What are you even talking about?’

Harumi huffed ‘I mean like… who could even think of turning me down, he’s got to be like super religious or something.’ Skylor rolled her eyes ‘Or you could just like… not be his type’ Harumi gasped, ‘I’ll have you know, I’m everyone’s type.’

Skylor laughed, ‘Oh, please,’ she said, ‘Or maybe he likes sweet girls,’ she pointed at Vania, 'and that’s why he’s dating her.’

Harumi’s eye twitched ‘Excuse me! I AM swee-’

Vania finally cut them off.

‘I’M NOT DATING HIM,’ she yelled, and both their heads snapped back towards her.

‘I mean, I’ve only just met him, we study together.’

There was a silence, and Harumi smiled her terrifying smile yet again. ‘Well.... you should totally go for him. We think he likes you, don’t we, Skylor?’

Skylor nodded vigorously.

Vania wondered for a second, maybe he could like her? Maybe they could be more than friends? 

She’d never had a boyfriend before, and she felt a stab of anxiety at being behind on yet another thing.

Harumi nodded again, ‘I’ve thought it through, and I’ll let you have him,’ she said airily. Next to her, Skylor scoffed. She snapped her head upwards, ‘What was that, Skylor?’ she asked. Skylor shrugged A cough?’ she offered.

Harumi narrowed her eyes.

‘Anyway,’ she continued, ‘even though we would’ve been the hottest couple this school has ever seen, I’ll leave him alone just for you,’ she finished. Vania stared at her ‘Thanks… I think?’ Harumi smiled sweetly.

‘Anything for you- now c’mon, we have to teach you how to win him over - ‘cause no offence but you seem kinda clueless’

Vania pulled a face, ‘I don’t see how anyone could enjoy that.’ Harumi sighed exasperatedly, ‘It’s no use, she’s such a prude.’

Skylor glared at her ‘Don’t be crass, Rumi’ she muttered.

'It's fine, Vania. 'She leaned in and began to brush Vania’s hair, ‘You have class and she... doesn’t,’ she whispered in her ear with a wink. Although the statement was questionable, she couldn't fight the blush that crept up her neck.

Harumi lay back on the table of the unoccupied classroom, which they had self-proclaimed the ‘makeover room’, and sighed dramatically. ‘First, Lloyd broke up with me for some strange reason that I don’t understand, and now Cole is taken? What am I meant to do?’

Skylor laughed ‘Some self-reflection?’ she said. Vania smirked, quickly looking away from Harumi so she wouldn’t see. Harumi looked at her sourly ‘I’d rather be single than my boyfriend hate me’ she shot back.

Skylor gasped, ‘He does not hate me, he just says we’re casual, he doesn’t mean it!’

Vania was starting to get sick of their bickering, so she just opted for staring out the window and ignoring them. If Cole did like her like they say he does, doesn’t that mean she should go for it? She’d watched enough romance movies to know what was happening here, and maybe having a boyfriend would be just as great as the other girls made it seem. Surely, she must like him, too, right? The butterflies in her stomach, the nervousness… it all added up. She was going to do it; she had to.

When she came back to reality, Skylor and Harumi had somehow disappeared without her noticing. She began to wonder if she had just hallucinated the entire experience.

Before she could turn around, there was a knock on the classroom door.

‘Yeah?’ she called out.

Another pretty girl with her black wavy hair tied back into a ponytail stepped into the classroom. ‘You’re not meant to be in here,’ she warned, her tone sharp. Vania froze and gestured towards the door. 'I was with- they said-'

The girl’s expression wavered ‘Harumi and Skylor,’ she said understandingly ‘don’t worry about it’ she added with a smile.

‘I’m Nya, head of year,’ she introduced herself.

Vania smiled, ‘I’m Vania.’ Her name registered on the girl’s face, but she obviously tried not to make a big deal out of it, which Vania deeply appreciated. Nya gave her a soft look, 'You seem way too nice to be hanging out with them,' she said.

'Don’t let Harumi brainwash you into her clique, you don’t wanna know what happened to the last girl.’

Vania’s expression turned horrified. ‘What?’ she asked.

Nya tilted her head, ‘Okay, fine, she just transferred schools, but trust me on this one – they are not the people to make friends with when you've only just got here.’

Vania smiled, ‘I’ll trust you on that one’

Nya smiled. ‘Come with me, we’ll find somewhere else to hang out’

Chapter Text

‘Hey, Nya!’ Cole said cheerfully. ‘Is Kai here?’ Nya looked up from her chopping board and shook her head. ‘Sorry, he’s just out with mom - her new regime is to force him to go grocery shopping with her on Saturdays.’ Cole sighed, just his luck. ‘Seriously? I came all the way here,’ Nya chuckled, ‘I told him to tell you he was out, but he never listens to me.’ Typical.

Cole shuffled up next to her ‘What are you doing?’ he said with a sly grin. Nya huffed ‘You are not having any of my dinner’ she told him.

He gasped, ‘I would never!’ She looked at him sceptically, ‘You say that, then you come into my house and you eat my sandwich, which might I add, had my name written on it!’

Cole rolled his eyes. ‘Okay, please, that was one time,’ he said indignantly. She fixed him with a steely glare, saying nothing. ‘Okay, jeez,’ he said, 'I'm sorry.’ She held back a smile ‘Whatever’ she said ‘just don’t do it again’ Cole laughed ‘Didn’t realise your sandwich was this important to you’

She ignored him again and continued to chop vegetables.

‘Wanna watch a movie or something?’ he asked. She stopped what she was doing and turned to him in exasperation, ‘dude, I’m making dinner – come back later when Kai’s here, I’ll message you.’ He sighed, picking up his skateboard, ‘Alright, loser,’ he said. ‘See you later,’ She flipped him off over her shoulder.

Cole considered his options. He could walk down to the gym, do some lifting, pick up food on the way, and then… hang around until his dad got back. If his dad even got back. No, there was surely something better he could do with his time. He called Lloyd. He picked up on the fifth ring

‘Can I call you back later, Cole?’ Lloyd’s voice came through the line. He didn’t sound quite right; there was a fragility in the way he spoke. Cole swallowed, ‘Of course, I was just gonna ask to hang out – are you okay?’ There was a pause, and Cole swore he could hear raised voices in the background. ‘Yeah, I’m good,’ he said finally, ‘see you later.’ The line went dead. Weird.

Cole sighed. He was back to square one.

He stared at the road, watching the cars go by. He found himself thinking about the first and last family holiday he had experienced.

His mom had been so persistent on them driving out to the countryside, and his dad, typically, was willing to do anything to make her happy. He could almost hear her laugh, ‘This does… not look like the photo,’ she had said with a playful glint in her eye. Lou had just looked up the building up and down, ‘it’s definitely rustic.’

The building had looked half abandoned, with mould creeping up the sides, and wooden shutters covering the windows.

Cole had looked at his parents in confusion, ‘Where are we going to sleep?’

Lilly had turned toward him then, with a kind smile ‘C’mon, lets go get something to eat, and we’ll figure this out when we get back.’ He squealed as his dad picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. ‘Let’s go, champ,' Lilly beamed, interlocking her hands with his Lou's as they walked out and onto the beach.

Cole felt a wave of nausea. He hated the weekend.

He picked up his phone again, contemplating for a second. Could he call Vania? He realised that they barely knew each other, but he couldn’t think of anyone else he wanted to spend time with right now.

He wished Kai were here; there was something about hanging out with him that allowed Cole to relax. Sure, the guy could be obnoxious as hell, and his ego was the size of a lake, but he always felt safe around him. Especially when they were alone, without the forced arrogant exterior that often made Cole want to smash his head into a wall.

He pressed on Vania’s contact; there was no harm in trying her, right? Surely, she can’t have gotten sick of him that quickly. She picked up immediately.

‘Hi Cole!’ she exclaimed cheerfully, ‘How are you?’

He smiled to himself, ‘I’m okay,' he said, ‘want to come get ice cream with me?’

He could hear her gasp in excitement, ‘YES!’ she agreed enthusiastically, ‘my father's keeping me locked in whilst he’s out of town, I'd like to do anything other than stay here.’

Cole snorted, ‘a princess locked in a tower? How original.’ She laughed. ‘Well,’ Cole said, standing up and brushing the dust off his hoodie, ‘I’m coming to save you.’ She chuckled again, ‘I should probably give you directions first.’

After a particularly arduous journey, Cole finally arrived. He had to take about five different methods of transportation, all with Vania shouting instructions in his ear. And, she failed to mention that the final stretch of the journey just so happened to be up a mountain. She lived just outside the city, which would’ve been great for Cole to know from the start – who would’ve known that a place like Vania’s would be this hard to find? The sun was starting to feel oppressive on his back as he approached the palace.

Jesus, he kept forgetting that she lived in a palace. He couldn't even begin to contemplate how different their lives were. The building itself was imposing, spiralling porcelain towers stretching up into the sky.

‘Hello?’ he called, squinting and covering his forehead with his sleeve.

Her head popped out of the window far above him ‘I’m up here!’ she shouted.

‘I can see that!’ he shouted back with a chuckle.

She suddenly dashed out of view.

‘You’ve gotta help me climb out the window,’ came her muffled voice from inside.

Cole frowned, not sure if he was hearing right ‘Huh?’ he questioned.

She appeared again, this time at a window a few feet above him, her long golden hair almost touching the top of his head. ‘Hey,’ she greeted, panting, ‘care to help me out?’

He looked at her in astonishment ‘Are you gonna jump out the window?’

She grinned, ‘Only if you’ll help me.’ He shrugged, ‘Sure’

She pushed the open window out further and swung both her legs round the front, taking a deep breath in. ‘Okay, promise you’ll catch me?’

He nodded, a mix of fear and amusement on his face. She closed her eyes and grabbed onto him, dropping down from the ledge. She hit him with full force, sending them both tumbling backwards, ‘Ow, fuck!’ he exclaimed, clutching his arm.

‘I am so sorry,’ she said through her laughter, once they had both recovered from the initial fall.

Her hands were resting on his shoulders. There was a brief moment of eye contact after their laughter died out, and Cole swore he noticed a strange look in her eyes. He coughed, sitting up quickly and breaking their contact, ‘uh… I’m sorry too’ he said, not meeting her gaze.

She looked down at her feet.

‘That was idiotic... I should’ve just stayed in my room; my father will kill me.'

He felt a pang of guilt ‘Hey, no, don’t worry, I’m fine! And I’m glad you’re here,’ he reassured her. She smiled softly. ‘Really?’

He nodded sincerely. ‘I know we don’t know one another too well, but I do like hanging out with you,’ he said. She beamed ‘I like hanging out with you, too’ she replied.

‘So, you’re the goalie, right?’ Vania asked, through a lick of her mint choc chip. Cole leaned back on his elbows ‘Yeah… how did you know that?’ She shrugged ‘Harumi must’ve told me’ she replied. Cole’s face turned sour, and Vania let out a laugh. ‘I take it that you haven’t had many positive experiences with her?’ He gave her a glance that read, 'Don’t even get me started.' She nodded, ‘Yeah, I got that,’ she said with amusement.

‘I like being on the team,’ he said, answering her previous question. ‘It’s also my only hope of getting into college,’ She frowned, ‘why?’ The sun was setting, and the golden rays made her hair shine even more than usual. ‘Scholarship’ he answered, ‘I’m failing basically every class.’

She squinted up into the light '... why is that?’ She asked. He chuckled at her persistent questioning. ‘I dunno,’ he said, picking at the hem of his jeans. She turned to look at him ‘You’re smart, though, I can tell.’

he looked at the floor. 'Got other things on my mind, I guess,’ he said, finally. She didn’t push him any further. ‘Hey, you should try out for the cheer squad,’ he suggested, in an attempt to turn the attention away from himself. She grimaced. ‘Really? You think I’d be any good?’

He took another bite of his chocolate ice cream. ‘Duh,' he said, ‘you’re a princess, aren’t you good at everything?’

She shrugged, ‘I don’t know,’ she replied, a look of contemplation on her face. He grinned, 'Besides, you could spend more time with your best friend, Harumi. ' Vania groaned, ‘Oh, please don’t tell me she’s the head cheerleader.’ he scrunched his nose. ‘I mean, I could lie?,’

She sighed, ‘I should’ve guessed straight away.’

Cole swung his legs back over the wall they were sitting on.

‘You wanna learn how to skateboard?’ he asked, changing the subject with a sly grin.

She stared at him ‘Are you joking?’

He shook his head, reaching around and pulling out his board from below the wall. She looked at him, confused, ‘Was that just there the whole time or…?’ she asked. ‘I left it here before I came to get you, genius,’ he said, ‘now, c’mon, I gotta test your princess superpowers. ' She rolled her eyes and reluctantly got up to follow him.

‘IM GOING TO DIE’

Vania’s terrified shout sent Cole into yet another laughing fit, clutching his side.

‘No, you have to lean the direction you want to turn, not fall off!’ He ran over to her, and she grabbed his arm in absolute fear. ‘Why did you let go?’ she practically sobbed, 'Why are you doing this to me?'

He had to hold back another laugh ‘Look, you got this - I’ll start you off.’

Her eyes widened ‘If you let go of me again, I swear I will-’ He had already pushed her forward, motioning for her to change her stance. She screamed again, and Cole pinched his brow, ‘We’re gonna get complaints from everyone in the neighbourhood!’ he yelled after her.

She glared at him. ‘I hate you,’ He cackled, ‘you can just get off, you know?’

She giggled almost hysterically, ‘I don’t know how! I’m stuck!’ He sighed exasperatedly. ‘Just step off!’

She stopped abruptly, sending herself tumbling onto the ground ‘FUCK’ she shouted, just about managing to land on her hands.

'Not like that!' Cole rushed forwards, trying to help her up ‘Are you hurt?’ he asked, concerned. She blinked in the sunlight, ‘I think I’m dead,’ she said, and he rolled his eyes, ‘Oh, you’ll be fine.’ She gasped dramatically, ‘Just leave me here to die,’ she said, draping her arm over her forehead.

He turned his back on her, ‘fine’, and she frowned, ‘ I didn’t actually mean that!’

He was about to turn back around and tease her about her melodrama, but he noticed a notification on his phone dated from around an hour ago, it was from Kai.

‘Hey, where are you? Nya said you were gonna come by’ 

Cole felt a pang of guilt; he’d entirely forgotten that he was meant to go back later. He put his phone away and leaned over to grasp Vania’s hand to help her up. She brushed herself off, holding her head up high. ‘Well, I can’t say I enjoyed that, but it was definitely better than being bored in my room’ she declared. Cole snorted, ‘But you looked like you were having such a great time?’ he asked sarcastically.

She pushed him, ‘I was surviving,’ she told him in indignation.

There was a brief moment of silence, and he swallowed, ‘Look, I’m gonna swing by Kai’s, I told him I was gonna see him earlier, you wanna come?’ She shook her head, scrunching up her face, ‘No, I need to get home soon anyway,’ she said. He nodded, ‘You need me to come back with you?' he offered. 'How are you gonna get inside?’

She cracked a smile, ‘You’re good, my father will be back by now, I’ll just have to face his wrath’ He gave her a sympathetic look, ‘Sorry about that’

She smiled, ‘it was worth it,’ she told him, 'see you on Monday!’ She half-heartedly kicked his skateboard back to him. He laughed, ‘Bye, Vania’

She spun around and walked away, her white skirt flowing out behind her.

Cole propped his skateboard up against the wall and knocked on the door to Kai and Nya’s. ‘Hi, sweetheart,’ said the woman opening the door. He smiled, ‘Hi, Maya, ’ he said, letting her squeeze him into a hug,

‘How are you?’ he asked. She squeezed his shoulder. ‘I’m okay, Cole! ' How are you?’ she asked. ‘How’s Lou?’

He winced slightly. ‘We’re good,’ he said shortly, giving her another smile. She nodded softly, a hint of concern in her eyes.

He walked through the door, leaving his shoes on the porch. He waved to Kai's dad, Ray, who greeted him warmly.

‘Dude!’ came Kai’s cry from the couch, ‘Where the hell were you?’

Cole laughed, ‘Missed me?’

Kai snorted. ‘Yeah, right.’

Cole sank onto the couch next to him, putting his feet up on the coffee table. ‘I just need someone to help me beat my high score,’ Kai told him airily. 

Cole narrowed his eyes. ‘Suree.'

He leant forwards, snatching the controller off him, ‘Now, you really can’t beat it.’

Kai glared at him before grabbing his arm in an attempt to take it back.

Cole was not giving in easily. Somehow, they managed to find themselves on the floor, with Kai shouting abuse into his ear, and pushing his head into the floor as Cole grabbed his face with one hand, and kept the controller out of reach with the other. ‘Ow! What the hell?’ he complained over the sound of Kai’s maniacal laughter.

‘You two are like children,’ came Nya’s tired voice from the doorway in front of them. Cole looked up as Kai stopped trying to smush his entire face into the floor. ‘Hey, Sis!’ Kai said, flashing her a smile. She rolled her eyes, ‘Mom says there are sandwiches in the kitchen,’ she told them, turning away. Cole looked at Kai hopefully.

‘For fuck’s sake, I am not sharing my sandwich with you,’ he said, pushing him away. Cole frowned ‘Please?’

Kai rolled his eyes dramatically, ‘Oh my god... fine.’ Cole grinned, putting an arm around his shoulder ‘You love me so much.’

Kai scrunched his face up in disgust ‘I do not’

They ate their food, and Cole found out Maya had made a sandwich especially for him (No, he didn't almost tear up with happiness, who said that?) so there was no need for him to harass Kai until he gave up his half.

Afterwards, they went into Nya's room to watch a movie. Trying to fit all three of them on the single bed proved itself to be a challenge, and Cole ended up halfway falling off the edge.

Nya laughed at him before looping her arm through his, 'Get over here,' she said, dragging him closer.

She hit Kai on the arm 'Move up, you're hogging all the space' she scolded.

'Am not,' He said, sticking his tongue out at her. She rolled her eyes. 'If you don't move, I'll tell Cole what happened last year at my birthday party.' Kai's eyes widened. 'You would never!' She shrugged, an evil grin on her face 'You wanna test that?'

Kai moved without another word.

Cole stared at them helplessly, 'What the hell happened?!' he asked. Nya laughed, 'I can't tell you now - sibling code,' she explained, and Kai grinned smugly. C

ole threw his hands up in protest 'You can't just say that and not tell me! I'm in desperate need of more embarrassing secrets to blackmail him with.'

Kai smirked. 'Yeah, yeah, talk it up, big guy - it's not like I don't have things on you too.'

Cole's heart dropped to his stomach. Irrationally, he realised. There was no way Kai knew anything.

He suddenly didn't feel like joking around anymore.

'Whatever, let's just watch the movie,' he said shortly.

Nya glanced at him in concern before wordlessly turning the TV on. He didn't realise his change in tone had been that obvious, and Kai seemed unfazed, so he chalked it up to Nya just being overly perceptive.

Halfway through the movie, Kai prodded him, 'Where were you today?' he asked.

Cole raised his eyebrow, 'Why, what's the matter?'

He shrugged, 'No reason, just wondered who you were hanging out with,' he said.

'I have other friends than you and Lloyd, you know,' Cole replied.

Kai nodded 'You sure?' he said teasingly. 'Hey, I'm a social butterfly!' Cole protested. Kai laughed 'Close friends, I meant' Cole huffed, 'I still feel insulted' he complained.

'I wasn't even hanging out with anyone,' he told him. 'I just went to the gym,' Kai shrugged, 'cool,' he said airily. 'Can I press play now?' Nya asked wearily.

Sunday went by quickly, much to Cole’s liking. He was starting to get sick of the summer, held too many memories, he thought. He had spent most of the day gaming with Lloyd, who seemed to be doing much better, thankfully. He wasn’t entirely sure what the hell had happened in Lloyd’s life to cause his odd shift in mood, but he had hope that whatever it was had been resolved. He yawned, stretching his legs. He checked his phone for any new notifications.

Vania had texted him this morning, updating him on what happened with her dad.

Luckily, she had managed to get a guard to let her in just before he got back – and Cole felt relieved for her. He replied with a thumbs up and turned his phone off again, staring at the ceiling.

He closed his eyes, deciding he was going to try and go back to sleep, ignoring the empty feeling in his chest. He was used to it by now.

Chapter Text

‘Anyone sitting here?’

Vania looked up with a smile. ‘Nope!’ she replied, sounding a little too enthusiastic. She scolded herself internally; she really didn't want to scare her new friends off already with the slightly frantic, nervous energy that seemed to take over her as soon as she stepped into the building.

Nya smiled back and sat down, setting her lunch tray on the table. ‘How are you getting on?’ she asked.

Vania shrugged, ‘I’m okay, chem might be the death of me, though.’ Nya laughed, ‘I feel that - every day I regret taking AP physics,’ she said, pulling a sour face. Vania grimaced ‘I don’t like the sound of that’ she replied.

Nya sighed, ‘Well, at least you aren’t in class with my brother, he keeps setting things on fire with the Bunsen burners. ’ Vania looked at her, horrified ‘How has he not been kicked out yet?’ she asked, incredulously. Nya rolled her eyes ‘It’s all ‘accidental’ apparently, but I have a suspicion Lloyd might be swaying his father’s decisions.’ Vania laughed and took another bite of her food. ‘Checks out,’ she replied.

‘I’m thinking of trying out for the cheer team,’ she said a few seconds later, changing the subject. ‘Do you know where the auditions are?’

Nya sighed, ‘They always get the good ones,’ she said jokingly with a half-smile.

Vania tilted her head, ‘Should I not? Are the routines too hard or something?’ Nya laughed, ‘I’m just pulling your leg, I think you’d be a great addition,’ she told her. ‘I just have my personal grudge to bear.’ Vania looked at her inquisitively, ‘What happened?’ she asked. Nya waved her off, ‘I’ll tell you some other time, it's a long story,’ she said, and Vania had to suppress her growing curiosity. 'I'm going to go talk to the cheer coach after the assembly,’ she said, and Nya nodded, ‘good idea, and if you do get in, don’t let them suck the soul out of you’

‘I won’t. I hope?’ Vania replied unsurely.

She suddenly felt someone put their hands on her shoulders, and she almost had a heart attack ‘Did I just hear someone say... cheerleading?!’ squealed Harumi’s excited voice from above her. Nya’s expression tightened. ‘And that’s my cue to leave,’ she murmured, ‘see you later, Vania!’ She gave her a goodbye wave.

Harumi waved back at her mockingly, ‘Yeah, okay, bye-bye!’ she said, her voice scathing.

Vania looked at Nya in protest, ‘wha-’

She was cut off by Harumi sitting down right next to her on the bench, diverting her attention away. ‘Oh my god, Skylor and I would love it if you joined the team!’ she exclaimed, ‘wouldn’t we, Skylor?’ she added, nudging her with her elbow. Skylor nodded enthusiastically and sat down on the opposite side of her, ‘you should totally come with us, we’ll show you what to do’ Vania smiled, ‘thank you!’ she said ‘I still need to learn the routine, though’ Harumi flashed her signature slightly manic smile. ‘Of course’ she said, and Skylor grabbed her hand, ‘we’ll totally help you with it, don’t even worry’

Vania couldn’t help but find their intense nature endearing, even if they had already proven themselves to be some of the cruellest people she knew. Well, Harumi was – she couldn’t quite pin down Skylor.

‘Wait, Sky! Have we invited her yet?’ Harumi whispered loudly. Skylor shook her head, ‘Harumi’s having a party at her house, after the boys finish their game next week,’ she told Vania. ‘You should come!’ Harumi glared at her ‘I was gonna tell her, but whatever’ she muttered, ‘Oh, and can you invite your boyfriend for me?’ she added, ‘he, like, always avoids me, so I didn’t get the chance to ask.’

Vania shrugged, ‘okay… but he’s not my-’ Harumi rolled her eyes, ‘you’ve gotta trust the process,’ she interrupted with a cunning smile, ‘he will be soon, I promise’

Vania couldn’t determine if Harumi’s words made her feel excited about the future of her and Cole’s relationship, or if they made her want to go and cry in the bathroom. School was rough; her emotions felt so heightened all the time. Skylor squeezed her hand, ‘Wanna come to assembly with us?’ she asked, and Vania nodded wordlessly.

They filed into the hall, and she was amazed at the number of students it could hold. She sat on the chair between Harumi and Skylor and tilted her head to look through the rows of students to see if she could spot where Cole was sitting. She finally spotted him, walking in late with Kai, Lloyd, and Jay. He’d been at practice, she assumed. She caught his eye and waved. His face lit up, and he waved back animatedly. Kai looked at him in confusion, and asked something Vania couldn’t hear – but she could assume it was ‘who are you waving at?’ based on his expression. Cole made a gesture as if to say ‘doesn’t matter’, and sat back down. Weird, Vania thought.

Why wouldn’t he want Kai to know that they were friends?

Vania was pulled out of her thoughts when a man with tousled grey hair and silvery robes stepped out onto the stage at the end of the hall, ‘Hello, students, ’ he greeted with a refined and hard-to-place to place accent. ‘Welcome back to another year, it’s great to see you all again’

‘For those of you who are new, you can address me as Garmadon,’ he began, ‘Your principal’

‘I’m just here to have a quick briefing about school policy and our values here.’ Beside her, Skylor groaned. ‘he’s lucky he’s hot, or I wouldn’t show up to these,’ she whispered to them.

Harumi stared at her in absolute horror .‘I’m gonna pretend you did not just say that about my ex-boyfriend’s ancient dad.

Vania struggled to hold back her laugh.

Garmadon proceeded to go on somewhat of a long-winded rant, and Vania sank back in her seat, trying not to fall asleep. She looked around the hall again, taking in all the various students. There were types of beings she had never seen before in her life, and the diversity was astounding for someone who grew up in a kingdom where most people she interacted with looked exactly the same. She was pretty sure she could see a Mucoid wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses. There were two students on the row in front of her who had a greyish-green skin tone and long black hair. She swore she recognised them, but she couldn’t quite place where from.

‘Hey, who are those guys? Are they merlopian?’ she whispered to Skylor, who shrugged, ‘foreign exchange students?’ she offered. ‘I’m pretty sure the left guy’s called Moe or something.’ Harumi shook her head, ‘No, that’s Murt! He did my English homework once,’ she piped up, and Skylor raised an eyebrow. ‘Safe to say, I never let the guy anywhere near my work again,’ She added with a low whistle. ‘I honestly have no idea how he’s made it this far,’

Vania stifled a giggle, hoping that no one in the silent hall was listening to them.

‘What were you doing hanging out with Nya earlier?’ Harumi whispered to her, suddenly changing the subject. Vania swallowed. She knew she had to tread carefully, but she felt a loyalty to Nya even though they barely knew each other. ‘I like her, she seems nice,’ she replied, with a shrug.

Harumi scoffed, ‘That's what she wants you to think,’ she said, narrowing her eyes. ‘In reality, she’s a stuck-up bitch with a major superiority complex.’

Skylor rolled her eyes. ‘Really, Rumi,’ she said jadedly. ‘What even happened between you two?’ You were best friends in middle school.’ Harumi gave her a warning glare, ‘Don’t remind me,’ she said, folding her arms elegantly. Skylor gave Vania a knowing glance, and she laughed, proceeding to turn it into a cough so Harumi wouldn’t notice.

‘And to whoever desecrated the girl’s toilets on the third floor, set all the toilet paper on fire and wrote ‘FEAR ME’ on the wall using the art department’s last bottle of spray paint, just know the staff team aren’t giving up until we find out who you are’ was the first sentence Vania heard when she tuned back into the speech. A girl in the year below them with vibrant red hair looked at the ceiling and started to whistle, sinking further down in her chair. Vania held back a laugh when she noticed Nya staring pointedly at Kai, who was violently mouthing, ‘That was not me!’ back to her.

The assembly ended with Garmadon giving everyone a half-hearted wave, muttering ‘do your work, or... something like that’ and proceeding to leave the room swiftly, slamming the hall doors behind him.

Vania looked at Harumi

‘So can we like… leave?’

Harumi rolled her eyes, ‘Duh, c’mon let’s get out of here,’ She said, grabbing Skylor. Vania glanced away from them, ‘I might go and…’ she trailed off, motioning to Cole, who was still sitting in his chair, talking to Kai and Lloyd. Harumi smirked, ‘Don’t let us get in the way,’ she said, squeezing her shoulder. Skylor leaned closer to her ‘So are you gonna like, make a move on him?’ she asked with a wink. Vania froze, ‘uh…’ she started awkwardly. Harumi nodded, an understanding look on her face ‘I get it - waiting for them to make the first move is usually the best option’ she said, ‘but some, especially in his case, may need a little bit of an extra push’ she told her, with a sly grin. Vania nodded slowly, not sure how to reply to her entirely misreading the situation. ‘O-okay,’ she stuttered, inwardly cringing at her awkwardness. Harumi squealed, ‘Good luck!’ she said, linking arms with Skylor and dragging her away. Skylor still managed to still give Vania a nod goodbye, a subtle smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Her fiery ponytail flicked gracefully as Harumi yanked her through the crowd, and Vania watched them both disappear.

Her heart was beating fast. She didn’t know why she was so anxious about the whole situation; she definitely wanted more than a friendship with Cole. She was sure of it. Having a boyfriend would make school feel so much more stable, and she would have someone she knew she could always rely on. Plus, she had already told the girls she was going to go for it, and she didn’t want to let them down.

The worst he could say is no, right?

‘Hi Cole!’ she greeted him once she had found the courage to walk over.

‘Hey Vania,’ he said chirpily, ‘you got a lesson next?’

She grimaced ‘Unfortunately,’ she replied ‘English’ He sighed ‘Damnit, I got no one to bunk off with’ he said dejectedly. She shrugged ‘I mean… I could skip, it’s not that important.'

He grinned ‘You sure? I wouldn’t want you to break your teacher’s pet streak’ he said teasingly. She scowled at him, ‘Watch it’

‘So was that great, or what?’ Vania asked triumphantly, still out of breath and feeling like she was going to pass out any second. Cole sat on the ledge, with his legs stretched out in front of him ‘It was definitely... something!’ he answered, a look of mild fear and confusion on his face.

‘Oh come on,’ she said, ‘it wasn’t that bad, they’re totally gonna let me on the team!’

Cole nodded politely ‘Oh, I’m sure’ he said.

She threw her hands up in protest, ‘Okay, you’re a terrible liar,’ she said, ‘how do you even know it’s bad – what do you know about dance anyway?’ Cole sighed, shaking his head ‘Too much’ he said ‘so please never perform that monstrosity of a routine in front of me again.'

She folded her arms, ‘I knew your true opinion would come out eventually,’ she said playfully, ‘I personally thought it was a masterpiece’

He rolled his eyes, ‘I mean if you worked on the third and fourth step some more, it might actually become watchable.’ She snorted, ‘Who are you, my cheer coach?’ she joked. He shrugged ‘I think I’d make an excellent cheer coach, actually’ he said, a grin plastered on his face.

They were sitting on the roof of one of the school buildings, the sun beginning to set behind them. Cole had convinced her that no one was going to find them up there, since it was mostly just spare classrooms. She had warned him that if anything went wrong, she would blame it all on him. He just laughed, so she was taking that as an agreement.

She sat down next to him on the ledge, exhaling nervously. ‘I completely forgot, we’ve been invited to Harumi’s party next weekend,’ She told him.

He pulled a sour face, ‘'Both of us?' Do I have to go?’ he asked, ‘Am I going to get persecuted by her again?’

Vania shook her head, ‘Not if you come with me!’ she assured him. He tilted his head, clearly contemplating. She nudged him with her shoulder, ‘C'mon, it could be fun!’ She said in a singsong voice, ‘You know you want to.' He sighed, ‘Fine,’ he agreed, ‘but you better not leave me alone.’ She smiled, ‘I would never!’ She promised, ‘and besides, isn’t Kai going?’

Cole froze, ‘How do you even know who Kai is?’ he asked, and Vania swore she could see a flash of panic in his eyes. She rested her face on her palm, ‘He’s Nya’s brother, right?’ she replied. Cole looked at her incredulously ‘How do you know everyone? God, you’re everywhere.’

She laughed, ‘Making friends has been easier than I thought it would be,’ she said.

‘Probably has something to do with the fact that you’re a mysterious princess from a faraway palace,’ He said jokingly.

‘From a kingdom just outside the city,’ she deadpanned. Cole raised an eyebrow, ‘I feel like we’re skipping over the fact that Shintaro is a whole kingdom, here.’

‘I don’t know, I guess I’m just used to it,’ she said with a shrug. Cole kicked a stone with his worn-out black Converse. ‘It’s kind of weird how you haven’t been bombarded with people trying to be friends with you, though,’ he said. ‘You’re literally a future queen.’

She laughed, ‘Are you telling me the reason we're friends, right now?’ she questioned. Cole rolled his eyes ‘Oh fuck off, I’m not a gold digger!’ She cackled, almost falling off the ledge backwards, and Cole had to reflexively grab her and drag her back on. ‘Right, maybe we do have to leave, you’re a whole safeguarding risk,’ he told her, cracking her up again.

They began walking back down the stairs that connected the top floor to the roof.

‘Most people don’t know me by face’ Vania explained, answering the previous question, ‘so unless you search hard, it’s kinda difficult to know who I am unless I tell you my name- plus I dress down for school.’

Cole looked at her like she was crazy, ‘If that’s dressing down, I’m wearing my pyjamas right now,’ he said sarcastically. She snorted, ‘You do not want to see me at formal events,’ she cautioned him. ‘You wouldn’t even believe the things they have me wearing.’

They reached the entrance hall, and Vania suddenly felt a wave of tiredness - she couldn’t wait to get home to her soft velvety bed and pass out immediately. ‘So,’ Cole said, ‘You want me to walk you back to… whatever you use to get home?’ he asked. She shook her head, ‘You’re sweet, but I’m okay – my car’s just around the corner.’ Cole sighed, ‘I swear if it’s a limousine I’m going to go insane.' She pressed her lips together, ‘Okay, please don’t follow me,’ she warned him. He laughed.

There was a pause, and she noticed how he was looking down at her, a soft expression on his face. This was the perfect time. She begged the universe for a surge of confidence.

Just do it.

Get it over with.

She felt nauseous. Something about this didn’t feel right. She forced herself to think about Harumi… and Skylor. Get over yourself. The voice in her head screamed at her. She looked up into his dark eyes, the silence feeling like it was stretching on forever.

She was going to do it; she was going to kiss him. Right now.

The bell rang.

Okay, well, maybe not right now.

She was successfully yanked out of her anxiety spiral, and she saw that Cole was staring at her in concern.

‘Are you… okay?’ he asked.

‘I’m good!’ she exclaimed quickly. ‘See you later or tomorrow or… whenever!’ She rushed out, stumbling over her words.

Before she could think it through, she had turned and walked away from him and down the path to where the car was parked.

Fuck.

Next time, then.

She hoped that he didn’t think she was having a nervous breakdown. Which she kind of was. But that was beside the point.

Chapter Text

Cole knocked on the door, already feeling impatient. ‘Come in!' came the voice from inside.

He opened the door and stepped inside the room. ‘I just wante-' he began, but Pythor flicked his tail. ‘Have a seat, Cole,’ he mouthed, and continued talking on the phone. Cole sighed and complied.

‘I honestly find it rather insulting that you would imply that, actually,’ He muttered into the phone, ‘yes, of course, Skales, I did not eat the cat. I would never even dream of doing something like that.'

Cole looked up at the ceiling awkwardly.

‘That was only the one time! And again, I have no idea where Mittens has gone!’ he exclaimed. There was a pause, and Cole could hear the angry hisses from the other line. He motioned towards the door, ‘I can go-’ he mouthed, but Pythor put a hand out to stop him.

‘How on earth could you possibly have "proof?" he declared, glancing at Cole and rolling his eyes. ‘Look, I have a student here – we can discuss this later, dear.’ More incoherent yelling. ‘Goodbye,’ Pythor said with a chuckle, hanging up the phone. ‘Sorry about that, my good fellow,’ he apologised, giving him a toothy grin. ‘What are you here for?’

Cole mustered up his remaining energy ‘I just wanted to talk about my recent grade’ he said, ‘I don’t think I deserved a D. I worked really hard on my script’

Pythor sighed, ‘My apologies, Cole, but I think you’ll find that this is a performing arts course - and therefore you have to, well, perform,’ he told him. Cole stifled a groan. ‘And that includes singing’

‘Mr. Chumsworth, I’m avoiding singing for a reason,’ he explained desperately, ‘it’s for everyone’s sake, not just my own!’

Pythor narrowed his magenta eyes ‘Singing is a learnable skill, my boy, you just have to put in the effort!’ he said. ‘Not for me, it isn’t,’ Cole protested, ‘trust me, I’ve tried!’ Pythor lowered his rimmed glasses, ‘Well, I’m sorry, but you can’t avoid this forever,’ he said. 

Yes, the fuck I can, Cole thought. ‘I know,’ he replied, ‘I promise I’ll try next time.’

Pythor smiled, ‘Splendid!’ he said, ‘That will be sure to help your grade.’ Cole nodded, forcing a polite smile. ‘Thank you,’ he got up to leave. 'Ta-ta!' Pythor waved him out. ‘Be sure to come back if you have any questions’

He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he made it outside. Well, that was a disaster.

And Cole had sworn that there had been a goddamn cat collar sitting on his desk.

He looked around and spotted Vania standing outside the classroom, waiting for him. She came to walk beside him. ‘I fucking hate that guy,’ Cole muttered, and she snorted, ‘Good morning to you, too.’

He sighed, ‘Sorry,’ he said, ‘I’ve had a shitty morning.’

She laughed ‘I can tell.’

They walked in comfortable silence until they arrived at math class and took their seats in the back row.

Cole sighed contentedly, ‘I cannot tell you how much I love sitting at the back,’ he said, ‘we’re basically ignored over here.’

Vania rolled her eyes ‘That’s good for you’ she said ‘some of us are actually trying to pass, and don’t want someone talking nonsense in their ear the whole lesson’

Cole glanced at her, ‘wow,’ he said, ‘that was harsh.’

She put her head in her hands, ‘...I’m sorry, Cole,’ she groaned, ‘you’re not the only one who’s had a shitty morning’

He exhaled. ‘Maybe you could be forgiven,’ he considered, ‘if you give me the answer to question five in the homework.’

She chuckled, ‘Fine … and I do like your fun facts, I promise.’ She told him, ‘I’m just not in the mood to learn about all the different types of rocks right now.’

He narrowed his eyes, ‘Hmm… fine,’ he told her. ‘But at some point, I will get to show you my layers of the earth diagram.’ She stared at him ‘Why the hell are you not in geography right now?’ she asked. He sighed, ‘because I can’t read a map?’ he replied with a shrug.

She giggled and began to unpack her things. ‘I will never understand you’

Cole felt a little overwhelmed by how much he enjoyed spending time with her. He’d never felt a connection to someone this quickly; it felt like they had known each other for years. He trusted her, and that wasn’t something that came lightly to him.

‘Hey, do you want to come to mine later?’ he asked, ‘if you don’t have plans.’ She stiffened slightly, but quickly replied ‘Of course!’

‘Like… just the two of us?’

He nodded, ‘Well… that is what we usually do,’ he said. She nodded, her eyes wide, ‘Yep, totally - got it.’ Cole smiled, ‘I can meet you after practice, my place is only a few minutes’ walk away.’

She smiled back, ‘I’ll look forward to it.’

‘Cole and Vania!’ came Mr. Borg’s weary voice from the front of the classroom. ‘The lesson started fifteen minutes ago - please don’t make me regret seating you next to each other.’

Cole glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and she snorted with laughter. Mr. Borg pinched the bridge of his nose and turned back to the whiteboard. ‘I hate my job,’ he muttered.

Vania had her arm linked through his as they walked out of the classroom. Cole thought it was sweet that she always had to be having some kind of contact with whoever she was talking to – and even though he wasn’t used to it, it made him feel warm.

‘So, why does Mr. Borg have a personal vendetta against you?’ she asked with a laugh. Cole threw his hand in the air. ‘You gotta ask him!’ he said. ‘I have no idea, teachers just hate me for some reason-’ He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, as he'd just noticed Kai walking over to them. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

‘Quick,’ he said, pushing her away, and turning in the opposite direction, ‘leave now – it’s for your own good.’ She looked at him, startled. ‘What?’ she asked, looking around.

Cole put his face in his hands, realising it was too late.

‘Hey, you two,’ Kai said, appearing in front of them. ‘I had no idea you knew her,’ he said, motioning to Vania.

Talking about her like she wasn't there. Real nice. ‘I didn’t realise you knew her, either?’ Cole replied snarkily. 

‘Well, that’s why I’m here, Cole,’ Kai said with an eye roll, elbowing him in the chest. ‘Hello, princess, I’m Kai – it’s nice to meet you,’ he turned Vania with a lopsided grin. She smiled sweetly, ‘Hi, I’m Vania!’

Vania seemed to somehow sense Cole's discomfort. ‘I need to get to English class, but it was nice meeting you, Kai!’ she told him, and squeezed Cole’s shoulder, ‘See you later, Cole!’ she said. ‘Are we meeting outside the sports centre?’ she added.

Cole winced, ‘yep.’

She walked off, her hair swishing behind her as she skipped away. Cole slowly turned to face Kai, preparing himself for an excruciating conversation. Kai smirked, ‘I see how it is,’ he said, and Cole sighed.

‘Leave it alone, Kai, we’re friends.’ Kai leaned closer to him, ‘sure,' he said, infuriating Cole further. ‘Staying humble, I see’

‘No,’ he continued exasperatedly, ‘she’s my friend.’

Kai nudged him, clearly not taking in anything he was saying. ‘She’s totally into you, dude,’ he said, ‘I can’t believe you pulled her.’ Cole was starting to get seriously annoyed. ‘Fuck off,' he said wearily, pushing him away, ‘let’s just go to practice.’ The noise of the corridor was giving him a headache.

They walked outside and around to the arena, Kai consistently teasing Cole about Vania until he wished the ground would just swallow him up. They arrived at the rink, which was completely deserted. ‘Damn,’ Kai said, ‘I think we’re early.’ Cole sighed, ‘Everyone’s still at lunch,’ he explained, ‘I just wanted to get out of the hallway.’ Kai shrugged, ‘We can start practice early,’ he said.

‘You gotta tell me everything, dude,’ Kai continued to prod, once they had gone into the locker room to get ready, ‘have you made a move on her yet?’

Cole ignored him, feeling the simmering anger rising again. He knew he shouldn’t be this upset; this is exactly what he had expected from Kai.

‘C’mon, Cole, don’t be shy,’ he said with a grin. ‘I, for one, think it’s great that you’ve finally got a girlfriend. I’m proud of you, man.’

Cole raised an eyebrow. ‘Why’s that?’

Kai looked at him, tilting his head, a smirk still on his lips, ‘You know,’ he said, ‘people might’ve started saying things.’

Cole gritted his teeth together, ‘What type of things?’ he pressed. Kai rolled his eyes. ‘C’mon, man, you know what I mean.’

He didn’t know what caused it, but something inside of him just snapped. ‘I don’t, actually,’ he growled. He stepped forward and pushed Kai back, hard. Kai’s back hit the locker behind him. ‘Whoa, dude,’ he replied, a look of surprise on his face, ‘What? I touch a nerve or something?’

Cole felt rage take over him ‘Just fuck off, Kai’ he hissed. Leaving things alone just didn’t seem to be in Kai’s nature. He strode closer, getting up in Cole’s face, ‘You really wanna do this?’ he said, his tone jeering. Cole glared down at him, putting his hands on his shoulders to push him back. ‘No, I don’t,’ He stated firmly, ‘So can you just leave me alone? I don’t want to do something I’ll regret.'

‘Oh, I’m so scared,’ Kai taunted him. ‘I know you’re tall, but you can’t fight for shit,’ he said, forcing Cole’s hands off his shoulders and leaning closer until their faces were inches apart.

‘You really wanna test that?' Cole warned. He felt Kai stiffen, a little less smug. The room was uncomfortably silent apart from their heavy breathing. Kai’s eyes flicked down to Cole’s lips, and Cole felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest. The friction was almost palpable.

He panicked and stepped away, breaking their contact and turning back towards the locker. Kai staggered backwards, back onto the bench. He rested his face in his palm.

‘I’m sorry,’

He murmured, a few long minutes later. ‘That got out of hand.’

Cole shook his head, ‘That was my fault,' he replied, 'I should be the one apologising.’ Kai looked up at him, ‘I don’t know, I was kind of a dick,’ he said. Cole snorted ‘When are you not?’

Kai laughed ‘I think that might be a bit too soon, buddy’

‘Sorry,’ Cole said, but a smile pulled at the corner of his lips. There was another silence. ‘We good?’ he asked cautiously. Kai nodded, ‘Of course, man,’ he said. ‘You’re always going to be my best friend.’ Cole’s heart fluttered again.

‘Even when you’re a dickwad,’ Kai added.

Cole grinned, ‘You absolute sap,’ he said.

Cole internally cursed himself for letting his anger take over like that; he was lucky Kai was practically unable to hold grudges, or that could’ve gotten him in serious trouble. He pulled on his shin pads with a long exhale and followed Kai out of the locker room and onto the rink, skates in hand. He’d go and put the rest of his gear on later.

‘Oh for fuck’s sake!’ Cole exclaimed, and Kai intercepted him yet again, taking the puck off him and dribbling to the other side of the rink, successfully scoring for the third time. Kai grinned haughtily, lifting his helmet ‘C’mon, at least try!’ he taunted. Cole rolled his eyes, ‘You’re the one who's an attacker, here,’ he said. ‘How am I supposed to beat you?’

Kai grinned at him, ‘you’re not,’ he said, ‘but it’s fun demolishing you.’ Cole shot him a withering glare and skated over to the side, leaning his back against the board.

Kai came to join him. ‘You excited for the match next week?’ he asked, glancing at him almost cautiously. Cole shrugged, ‘I guess,’ he replied, ‘it’s non-competitive, so I’m less worried about the fact that we kind of suck.’ Kai laughed. ‘True,’ he replied. ‘I am not looking forward to our match with Highridge, ’ he added. Cole exhaled ‘Tell me about it’ he said through an exhale.

Kai grinned cockily ‘You don’t think we have a shot at winning the championship?’ Cole shrugged again ‘Never say never.’ Kai nudged him, ‘I mean, with you as goaltender, how could we fail?’ he said. Cole rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t you have a way with words?’ he said sarcastically. ‘And actually, Coach said he’s probably going to sub me out for half the games.’ Kai looked at him in shock. ‘What?’ he protested. ‘Like Karlof’s any better than you’

Cole bit back a smile, ‘I think he’s worried about me getting worn out,’ he said, ‘I told him I didn’t need a backup goalie in the first place, and he was all like "you can’t defy the rules of the game just because you’re overconfident."' Kai huffed, ‘Vinny’s kind of a bitch sometimes,’ Cole snorted ‘You don’t say,’ he said.

Kai looked over at him, the playful smile on his lips still lingering, and Cole felt adrenaline rush through his veins once more. They made eye contact, and for the first time, Cole noticed how his dark eyes were slightly tinted with shades of blue and green.

The doors burst open, and they quickly looked away from each other. ‘Hi guys!’ came Jay’s high-pitched voice from the other side of the pitch. Cole waved ‘Hey, Jay’ he greeted him.

Jay skated over to them, ‘Man, I’m sweating like a bitch right now,’ he complained, ‘it’s like an oven in this uniform.’ Kai snorted in amusement ‘Have we ever had a conversation where you aren’t complaining?’ he teased. Jay scrunched his face up, ‘Have we ever had a conversation where you didn’t have to be the centre of attention?’ he shot back. Kai scowled.

‘Whatever, dude, let’s just play,’ he said, pushing away from the board. Cole and Jay shared a look of amusement. ‘He clearly didn't like that,’ he said, nudging him in the ribs. Jay cackled.

Everyone arrived, and after a quick trip back to the changing rooms, Cole resumed his position in front of the goal. Lloyd was the first to attempt to score, and luckily, he managed to save it. Relief flooded through him; he had been feeling increasingly anxious about his fight with Kai affecting his performance.

As the game progressed, he felt an overwhelming sense of euphoria. He was saving every single goal, and he didn’t even feel too tired out. Maybe arguing with Kai was a new technique he should try before every game, he thought to himself in amusement.

He had a moment of panic when Tox seemed to appear out of nowhere and hit the puck straight into the bar of the goal. He winced, thinking it was sure to be bar down because of her expert angling - yet somehow, the gods of ice hockey seemed to be on his side that day, and it deflected clean off with a sharp ping. At the other end of the rink, he could see Kai throwing his hands in the air, cheering obnoxiously loudly. He lowered his head and bit back a smile.

After practice finished, Coach Folson pulled him aside. ‘Good job today, Cole,’ he said with a smile. ‘Play like that at the game next week, and we’ll have our work cut out for us.’ Cole nodded, ‘I’ll try my best, Coach,’ he said.

‘Sorry if this is intruding, but is everyone good with you and Kai?’ he asked. ‘I thought I could hear you arguing from my office,’ he added.

Cole frowned ‘Everything’s fine,’ he said, ‘just a minor disagreement.’ Coach smiled, patting him on the shoulder. ‘That’s great. I just wanted to check you were okay,’ he said, ‘don’t want my players to be at war with each other,’

Cole nodded.

‘You know you can talk to me if anything is wrong, right?’ he offered. Cole smiled faintly. ‘Thanks, Coach,’ he said, ‘but I’m fine.’ Coach Folson looked at him kindly. ‘I just want you to know that I’m here for you, kid,’ he told him. Cole nodded again before turning away and walking out the swinging doors.

He quickly got changed, as all the boys had left by the time he got into the locker room. Kai had already told him about his plans with Skylor and apologised for not being able to wait for him. He grabbed his stuff and left through the side door.

She almost walked into Tox as he wheeled around the corner. She was standing, leaning on the wall, her arm around the shoulder of a girl with bright makeup and choppy bright purple hair. They looked a pair together – Tox’s lime green leather jacket, entirely covered in pins, and her spiky green mullet complemented the other girl’s purple dress and hairstyle very suitably.

He grinned ‘Hey Tox’ he greeted her. She grabbed his hand, pulling him in ‘Hey, dude!’ she greeted him, a lazy smile stretched on her face. He nodded to the other girl, who gave him a small wave. ‘This is Chamille. ’ Tox introduced them. ‘Nice to meet you,’ he said, leaning against the wall beside them. ‘I’m Cole, I’m on the team with Tox.’

She smiled, ‘Nice to meet you too.’

‘What are you up to?’ Tox asked, lighting up a cigarette. Cole looked around, ‘I’m meant to be meeting my-’ he was cut off as he spotted Vania hurrying towards him, a panicked look on her face.

‘I got lost, I’m sorry,’ she rushed out. ‘I ended up on the opposite side of school,’ she explained. ‘I had to ask Garmadon for directions, it was so embarrassing,’ Cole laughed, ‘Hey, it’s cool, I’ve only just got out of the arena.’

Vania sighed with relief and smiled when she noticed Tox and Chamille, giving them a nod hello. ‘This is Vania,’ Cole said, ‘Vania, this is Tox and Chamille. ’ He introduced, ‘Tox is my nemesis on the ice.’

Tox cackled, ‘true,’ she said, ‘you wish we were as good as me,’ she teased. He scowled at her ‘Sure.' 

Vania smiled ‘Nice to meet you!’ she said excitedly, and they both greeted her back.

Tox looked at them in confusion, narrowing her eyes at Cole, ‘So… is she your…’ she trailed off.

Cole glared at her; her curiosity was seriously inconvenient sometimes. ‘She’s my friend,’ he said firmly. Tox nodded, a look of understanding that Cole tried his best to ignore, in her eyes.

‘Cool,’ she said, ‘you two should come and hang out with us, sometime,’ she offered, 'get away from the dicks you spend most of your time with.’ Cole rolled his eyes, ‘Kai is not that bad’ he said, ‘you gotta give the guy a chance- he’s cool when he wants to be,’ he defended.

Chamille pulled the cigarette out of Tox’s mouth and began to smoke it herself. Tox grinned ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ she answered. Vania laughed, ‘I’d love to hang out sometime,’ she diverted, and Tox smiled, her face lighting up. ‘Gimme your phone, I’ll put my number in,’ she said, and Vania obliged.

Cole looked at the time, ‘We should probably get going,’ he said with a sigh. ‘It was great catching up with you guys, though,’ he said, and Tox patted his shoulder. ‘See you later,’ she said, handing her phone back to Vania. Vania waved at them before turning around and following Cole.

‘Bye!’ she called, and Tox nodded, ‘See you around,’ she replied with a grin. Chamille waved back, resting her head on Tox’s shoulder and blowing out a stream of smoke.

‘They seem cool,’ Vania said, grabbing onto Cole as they crossed the road. He smiled, ‘They are,’ he agreed, ‘Tox is awesome.’

She grinned, 'and I’ve made even more friends, thanks to you,’ she said.

He glanced at her in amusement ‘I’ve gotta be careful, you’re going to replace me if you get any more.’ She giggled. ‘I would never’

They arrived at Cole’s house, and he flicked on the lights. He set their bags down on the table. ‘If you need anything to eat or drink, let me know,’ he told her. She nodded and immediately began to look at his family portraits on the wall. He groaned, ‘don’t do that,’ he pleaded, ‘the ones of me as a kid are so embarrassing.’ She squealed, looking over at them ‘Oh my god, you’re the cutest!’ she cooed, and he put his head in his hands

‘I already regret bringing you here,’ he muttered.

She paused in front of one photo. ‘Wow, she’s beautiful,’ she said in awe. ‘Is that your mom?’ she asked.

‘She really was,’ he said, a pained expression on his face. Great, time for the dead mom chat! Always a conversation that he loved to have, he thought sarcastically. Vania looked over at him, but he didn’t meet her eyes. ‘Jesus, I’m so sorry, Cole’ she said. ‘That’s horrible,’ He sighed. ‘Yeah, she was sick, it was awful,’ he said, ‘can we please just eat some cake?’ he asked, diverting the conversation. He couldn’t bear to do it again. She looked at him in concern, but didn’t press any further and followed him into the kitchen.

He served her a slice of chocolate cake and sat down at the table opposite her. ‘Holy shit,’ she said, ‘this is so good,’ tasting her first mouthful. He smiled smugly, ‘made by yours truly,’ he boasted. She looked at him in disbelief ‘Please set up your own café immediately’ she told him. He laughed, ‘I might have to, if my math grades drop any lower.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘I’m the one that’s helping you,’ she said, ‘so please don’t make yourself seem like a lost cause.’ He cackled, ‘I’m only saying what’s true.’

They settled on Cole’s bed to watch a movie. ‘What do you want to watch?’ he asked, and she shrugged, ‘I don’t mind, you choose,’ she said. He flicked through some options, before a notice came up on the screen ‘Damnit, I told Kai to let me back into his Netflix account’ he complained. ‘And now he’s going to be too busy making out with Skylor to reply to me.’

Vania froze ‘Is Kai… Skylor’s boyfriend?’ she asked. Cole stared at her ‘Duh… how did you not know that?’ he asked. She tugged at her sleeve, ‘I guess I didn’t put the two and two together,’ she said, ‘I knew she had a boyfriend… but I didn’t really think hard about it.’ Cole chuckled, ‘They definitely make it obvious when you hang out with them’ he said, and Vania grimaced.

Cole sighed, ‘The only movie my dad has downloaded is fucking Twilight,’ he said with a groan.

She burst out laughing, ‘What the hell?’ she questioned, ‘Why?’

Cole threw his hands in the air ‘You’re going to have to ask him,' he said. She wiped a tear from her eyes and grinned ‘Which one?’ she asked. He glared at her ‘I am not putting this atrocity on my TV screen’ he said. She relented, ‘Fine… but you’re going to have to entertain me since we have nothing to watch.’ He sighed, ‘I blame Kai for all of this.’

She laughed, and silence fell between them again. ‘So,’ he began, ‘is there anything you want to…’ he trailed off when he noticed how she was looking at him, the same look in her eyes that he had seen in flashes before.

She gazed up at him, her light breaths rapid. Before he could register what was happening, she put an arm on his neck and leaned in to kiss him. Fuck.

‘Whoa there,’ he said, pushing her back gently. Smooth. 

She froze and drew back, and the moment of silence that followed felt like it was stretching on forever.

‘Oh my god,’ she whispered, ‘I’m so sorry, I thought-’

He tensed up, feeling a wave of nausea spread over him. This was excruciating.

‘I’m so embarrassed,’ she continued, hiding her face in her hands. ‘I don’t know why I thought you liked me… I mean, I know I’m not as pretty as Harumi a-and the other girls you know, so like obviously you wouldn’t choose me over them – I just thought maybe you could like my personality or something,’ She blurted out, her words coming out like a stream.

Cole suddenly snapped out of his frozen state, ‘Vania, you’re beautiful,’ he told her, putting a hand on her cheek. ‘Seriously, you are one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met – and I have no idea how you could even think that you aren’t,’ he added.

He felt a sudden surge of courage.

She stared at him, rendered speechless. 'So why-' she began, he cut her off,  'it has nothing to do with what you look like, it's just me,' he said, his voice sounding unsteady, 'I wish I could be there for you... in that way, I really do'

'But-'

Did he really want to do this? This could entirely fuck up his life if it went sideways. He contemplated for a second, taking a deep breath in. Come on, Cole.

She looked at him expectantly, her blue eyes wide, and he remembered just how much he somehow trusted this girl. He exhaled.

‘I’m gay’

And there it was. The thing he’d been dreading saying out loud for the past eight years. Out in the open. To a random girl he’d met in math class a week ago. What the actual fuck was he doing?

She pressed her lips together. ‘Huh?’ she asked.

He winced.

‘I’m gay… as in… I like guys? ’ he repeated, unsurely.

She nodded, closing her eyes, ‘yeah, no, I got that - sorry,’ she said.

For a moment, neither of them said anything, and Cole felt sick with anticipation.

'…Am I the only one who knows?’ she finally asked, her voice quiet.

He paused. ‘Yeah,’ he admitted, struggling to find the words. 

Her gaze softened.

‘Oh, Cole,’ she murmured. ‘You could’ve told me earlier,’ she said, squeezing his hand. ‘And then I wouldn’t have tried to inappropriately hit on you at random times,’ she told him gently, with a look of amusement on her face.

He let out a half-sob, half-laugh, ‘yeah, I know,’ he said. He fought back the tears that threatened to prick at his eyes ‘I think I love you’ he said.

She teared up, ‘I love you more,’ she said, leaning in and giving him a tight hug.

'This doesn't change anything, I promise'

He held her tighter, relief flooding through him. ‘You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?’ he asked, his voice coming out smaller than he'd wanted it to. She pulled apart from the embrace and looked at him in disbelief, ‘Of course not. I would never dream of doing something like that,’ she replied, her voice sincere ‘You can trust me, Cole, seriously’ He just nodded, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins that was making him shake relentlessly. He still felt okay about his decision.

She shook her head, ‘This might sound insane, but… do you wanna get high? I think I accidentally bought drugs off Cinder – and it kinda feels like you need it right now.’

Cole burst out into hysterical laughter ‘Okay, what the actual fuck,’ he said after he'd managed to compose himself, ‘explain right this second.’

That was the last thing he was expecting her to say at that moment.

She fell over laughing, grabbing his arm for support. ‘Well,’ she began, once she had gained enough composure ‘when I was trying to find you earlier, I ran into Cinder – and he mistook me for someone else, i guess, asked me for ‘the money’ so I panicked and just gave him fifty dollars’ Cole had tears rolling down his face at this point, ‘you panicked!?’ he questioned. 'Fifty dollars!?'

She waved him off, ‘then he just took it, handed me a ziplock bag and walked off!’ she told him. ‘So, I went and found you, and by then I’d honestly forgotten about it.’

Cole put his face in his hands, ‘Go and get the bag,’ he said through his laughter, and she got up. ‘I’ll be back in a second,’ she called. Cole felt light-headed. He was entirely overwhelmed by how much he loved Vania for giving him a distraction, and, more importantly, her existence.

She handed him a clear plastic bag, and he opened it. ‘Yep, that’s weed,’ he declared, after giving it a sniff. ‘Plus, I know for a fact that it’s all that Cinder deals.’ 

She nodded, exhaling, ‘Well, I guess we’re both trying new things today,’ she said. ‘You came out and I’m… doing drugs!’

He laughed, ‘C’mon, I got all the stuff we need – bring the bag.’

***

‘You know what,’ she said, staring up at the ceiling, exhaling smoke. ‘I think it’s great – I’m like, happy for you.’

He slowly looked over at her, ‘You’re happy for me?’ he questioned with a snort of laughter. She waved him off, ‘y’know’ she half slurred, ‘I mean that I think it’s cool… like you like guys! Doesn’t matter… you’re still you, which is awesome.'

He grinned. ‘You know what, that was actually kind of nice,’ he told her, and she giggled. They were sitting on the floor now, and the pot was just starting to kick in.

He inhaled.

‘So… how long have you known?’ she asked him.

He exhaled.

‘Since I was like nine,’ he answered. ‘I didn’t even question it, until, you know, people start saying shit.’ She nodded, a look of contemplation on her face, ‘so like… how did you realise?’ she continued. He shrugged, ‘I don’t know… I just had crushes on boys instead of girls,’ he said, ‘plus, Lloyd’s dad was hot.’

She pulled back in horror, ‘What the actual- why does everyone say this!?’ Cole coughed, letting out a spluttering laugh, ‘Who else said that!?’ Vania grimaced; ‘Skylor’ she told him. He grinned, ‘She has taste,’ he said. She looked at him, appalled ‘Both of you are weird’ she said, clearly trying not to laugh.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, their hands intertwined.

She sighed, ‘I know it was, like, only to me - but I’m proud of you,’ she said. ‘I could tell that it was… really hard.’

Cole smiled at her. ‘You’re going to make me cry,’ he warned, ‘and that is not a pretty sight.’

She laughed.

‘I need to apologise again for trying to kiss you,’ she said, putting her head in her hands. ‘I don’t know why I did that... I honestly don’t think I ever liked you in that way - no offence,’ she sighed. ‘Harumi and Skylor were just so insistent, I didn’t want to let them down’

‘No hard feelings,’ he said with a grin, ‘I have the same issue with Kai. He just won’t get off my fucking back,’ he complained.

‘Today he said he was "glad I have a girlfriend now," because he was worried "people would start talking."'

She gasped. ‘That dick! Maybe Tox is right.’ Cole shook his head, taking another drag. ‘He’s a good guy, he’s just… slightly misguided sometimes,’ he said, ‘I swear, he’s the best once you get to know him.’

Vania rested her head against the side of the bed.

‘Maybe … people would surprise you, if you did decide to tell them,’ she said, her voice quiet. Cole shook his head, ‘I don’t think so,’ he said adamantly, ‘I just can’t.’

She shrugged, ‘I’m just saying, don’t write it off entirely – I don’t want you to be stuck in the closet your entire life,' she said, '...like how are you meant to even date?’

He tensed up, ‘I don’t know,’ he said, ‘I’ve kind of been avoiding thinking about all these things’

She didn’t push him any further, just gave his hand a squeeze.

‘Isn’t your dad going to come home?’ she asked, motioning to the smoke clouding above them. Cole shook his head, waving his arm to diffuse it. 'He’ll be out late, you could probably sleep over if you wanted to.’

She smiled. ‘Sure,’ she agreed, closing her eyes.

‘So, where is your dad, if he’s not here?’ she asked him, and he groaned.

This was never something he wanted to talk about.

‘I don’t wanna say,’ he complained, ‘you’re going to laugh at me.’

She raised an eyebrow, ‘Why would I laugh at you? Have I not proven myself to be an incredibly good friend already?’

'...Fine,' Cole rolled his eyes.

‘He’s… a singer,’ he admitted, dragging his hands down his face. 'A quartet singer. He spends all of his time practising singing and prancing around with his fucking dance troupe, and none of it is spent with his son.’

Vania’s lips were pressed together in a tight line. ‘Right,’ she mused. ‘That is… something.’

Cole took another drag of the spliff, ‘I know it sounds stupid, but he just obsessively works and then barely has any time for me. We don't even talk anymore.’

He glanced at her, and she was practically red in the face.

‘Oh, just fucking laugh,’ he relented, rolling his eyes.

She burst into a fit of giggles, ‘I’m so sorry, Cole,’ she managed to get out, ‘it’s not the emotional neglect that’s funny, I promise.’

He couldn’t help but laugh with her. ‘Oh my god,’ she said finally, ‘I’m sorry – but the man you’re terrified of coming out to, spends all of his time practising performing arts? Singing and dancing around with a bunch of guys?’

‘Oh, fuck you, actually,’ Cole said, a look of amusement on his face. ‘The joke was right there and you just had to make it’ She wiped a tear from her cheek, ‘I couldn’t resist, I’m sorry’

‘But, the thing is,’ Cole began, ‘my dad isn’t gay, he’s just… sad,’ he told her, and she stifled another laugh. 

‘Right, because of your mom,’ she said quickly, once she realised. Cole nodded, ‘after she died, he just turned into a completely different person,’ he said, ‘he directed all of the grief into his work, and we lost all of our connection.’

She leaned into him, ‘I’m sorry, Cole,’ she said. 'Genuinely, that must be awful.’

He said nothing and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. 'I know how my dad would react if I told him. It wouldn't be a good idea.'

She sighed, looking deep in thought.

‘I feel like we’ve talked a lot about me,' Cole said, with a slightly hysterical laugh ‘Anything going on with you at the moment?’

She laughed, ‘Well, my father continues to be the worst, and my mother... well, I'm not too sure where she is right now,’ she said, her words still slightly slurred. Cole looked at her in concern. ‘You wanna elaborate on that?’ he asked, and she shook her head. ‘Not particularly.'

‘Well, you know I’m here if you need,’ he told her gently, 'and you know I understand. '

She laughed, soft and light. ‘I do,’ she said. ‘Thank you’

They ended up lying in Cole’s bed, both barely awake and half watching Twilight on the TV. Vania had even let him show her his 'layers of the earth' diagram out of sympathy, and she had looked as though she was about to fall asleep by the end of the lecture on the structural composition of the inner core, so they had retreated to the bed so she could have a nap, lying messily over the top of one another.

She suddenly jerked up, ‘Wait,’ she said, ‘I think I’ve just had the best idea ever.’ Her pupils looked even more blown out than before.

He grabbed her shoulder. ‘Wait a second, I wanna see this bit,’ he said, his voice slow, pushing her out of the way and squinting so he could see the screen. ‘Never mind, I think he just punched the car or something.’

She stared at him in confusion.

‘Cole! Listen to me.’ She shook him by the shoulders.

‘What!?’ he exclaimed, finally meeting her eyes.

‘I think I know how we can get everyone off our backs,’ she whispered.

‘...How?’ He asked, after a pause, a little intrigued.

‘What if we… pretended to date?’ Vania urged. ‘If you’re so intent on never telling anyone at school that you’re gay... what if we just tell everyone that we’re together?’

He narrowed his eyes.

‘Wouldn’t that just make it worse?’ he asked.

She shook her head.

‘Maybe for a little while, but if we just take it to old married couple status immediately, we’re old news!’

He stared at her in disbelief. ‘That is… not a bad idea,’ he replied, sitting up.

‘You really are a genius.’

She nodded smugly, ‘I know,’ she told him.

Chapter Text

Vania woke up, her head pounding. She looked around the room and pushed Cole, who was snoring beside her, ‘What the hell?’ she exclaimed, ‘it’s almost midday,’

He looked up sleepily, ‘wha…?’ She got up quickly, looking at herself in the mirror.

Her hair was a complete mess, and her makeup was smudged. ‘Oh god,’ she said, trying not to panic. ‘I missed first lesson,’ she said, grabbing her cardigan off the floor and pacing around nervously. She knew her father was still out of town, and she prayed that none of the palace attendants would snitch on her. ‘Ugh, my mouth feels like someone filled it with sand.’

Cole sat up, rubbing his eyes, ‘You skipped English before? How is this any different?’ She stared at him ‘This is chemistry, Cole’ she said ‘I’m going to get murdered.’ He looked at his watch, ‘Oh shit,’ he said, ‘I gotta get ready for the game.’

She gasped and spun around, ‘I’ve got cheer auditions in half an hour! I completely forgot!’

Cole got up, ‘Okay, come on then – let’s go.’ She nodded and began to scan the room to see if there was anything else she had forgotten. She paused, lifting a pizza box. ‘When did we order pizza?’ he looked at the box and then back up at her. ‘At like… three in the morning,’ he replied, and she stared at him incredulously. ‘We ate like four whole ones altogether,’ he told her.

‘Jesus,’ she said.

He shrugged, ‘I've eaten more before.’

They gathered the rest of their things and hurried out the door, treading lightly in case Cole’s dad had come back during the night. ‘So… you wanna talk about it?’ Vania said, once they were out of the house and walking down the road, their steps in sync.

She definitely couldn’t say that she wasn’t shocked at what he told her last night. Admittedly, there no way she ever would’ve figured it out on her own; it really was the last outcome she had been expecting.

Despite her lack of knowledge, she was determined to help – she could tell this was tormenting him. Hiding such an important part of himself for so long couldn't be healthy, she thought. Plus, she felt like she was getting even closer to understanding him now, and she already knew that nothing would change how much she loved spending time with him.

She couldn’t explain the relief that flooded through her, though.

There was no reason for her to be so happy that someone as kind, selfless, and handsome as he was didn’t like her; shouldn’t she feel at least a little heartbroken over this?

Cole shrugged, ‘I mean… I felt less overwhelming dread than I thought I would when I woke up this morning.'

She sighed, ‘I told you- you can trust me,’ she said, ‘and anyway, this is kinda fun! It’s like we’ve got our secret undercover mission.' He snorted with laughter, ‘Your relentless optimism is honestly kind of endearing.’

She grinned. ‘You do love me,’ she teased. He nudged her with his shoulder, ‘Your hair looks insane by the way’ he told her, and she scowled, ‘well, I don’t have time to go home and fix it’ she said, before sighing ‘you do have a point, though, I look a mess, and I’m still in yesterday's clothes - it’s going to look like we-' she froze, and he raised an eyebrow, ‘isn’t that the whole point?’ he said.

Her eyes widened, ‘good point,’ she said, ‘should I mess my hair up more?’ He shook his head adamantly, ‘Please don’t,’ he said, ‘I don’t want to walk around with someone who looks like they’ve just been electrocuted.’

She frowned. ‘Fine, reject my expert ideas,’ she said, before grabbing his hand. ‘We’ve got to act like a couple if we really want to sell it,’ she continued, ‘what about pet names?’ he scrunched his nose, ‘what like… babe?’ he offered. He grimaced and turned away as soon as it left his mouth. ‘Ew,’ they muttered in unison. Vania sighed.

‘Okay, maybe we’ll just stick to holding hands, ’ she said, and he nodded. ‘I think that’s the best option.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Vania couldn’t fight back the urge to question him again. ‘So now everything’s out in the open,’ she prodded, ‘is there anyone you like?’ she said, a mischievous grin on her face. Cole shot her a withering glare ‘You’re like a mom’ he grumbled ‘And no, I’m not desperate’ he said. She cackled, ‘C’mon,’ she said, ‘any cute boys in any of your classes?’

He pushed her away. ‘I’m leaving,’ he complained. ‘I feel like I’m being interrogated by my grandmother.’

She burst out laughing and ran to catch up with him. They were almost at the school gates now. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m just a naturally curious person,’ she said. Cole rolled his eyes, ‘nosy, you mean.’

She gasped, ‘Take that back!’ he shook his head. ‘Not until you take back the trauma you just put me through.’ She sighed, ‘You’re such a drama queen.’

They arrived at the entrance hall, walking in holding hands ‘Are you coming to the game?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘Of course- It’s the perfect place to debut our relationship!’ she whispered enthusiastically, ‘I’ll finish at the try-outs and then get there immediately,’ she added. ‘Do I need to book a ticket or anything?’ he shook his head, ‘No, I’ll get you in,’ he said with a wink.

‘How romantic,’ she said with a snort of amusement, and he laughed.

‘If I get on the cheer team, there’s no way we won’t make IT couple status,’ she told him. ‘Come on, hockey player and cheerleader? We’re basically a walking stereotype.’ He laughed, ‘You’re having way too much fun with this.’

He looked over his shoulder, then turned back, ‘Kai’s over there,’ he told her, his voice low. ‘Wait- kiss me,’ he added hurriedly. She grimaced ‘Do I have to?’ He looked at her in protest, ‘You were fine with that last night?!’ he questioned. She groaned, ‘barely’.

‘On the cheek?’ he asked hopefully, ‘you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, though’ he added quickly.

She shook her head, ‘I’ll do this only because I love you, and you have to buy me food later.’ She leaned up, looping her arms around his neck.

In the background, she could see Kai staring at them. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

It was strange, to say the least - and she couldn't claim she wasn't slightly disappointed to have her first kiss with a friend. She had kind of been saving it for a whirlwind romance with a mysterious stranger that immediately swept her off her feet - just like the other princesses she read about as a kid. Then again, she did read way too many books. They pulled apart after a few seconds, trying not to laugh. She looked up at him, ‘See you later!’ she said, and he smiled, still looking slightly disturbed. ‘Bye, Vania,’ he replied, giving her a little wave.

She turned and walked away, a swing in her step. She did feel slightly guilty for revelling in this, but it was everything she’d ever wanted - to have a boyfriend without actually having to have a boyfriend and all the complications that came with that. Plus, she was just happy to have a friend like Cole – she’d never had an actual friend before.

‘Hey Vania!’ Skylor greeted her with a hug when she walked over to them in the lunch hall. ‘How are you, girl?’ she asked.

Before Vania could reply, Harumi practically pounced on her, ‘you- and Cole’ she said frantically. ‘You kissed- in the hall, are you dating? Finally?’

Vania looked at her in shock, ‘That was like a few minutes ago, how do you know that?’ Harumi looked at her intensely, ‘I have eyes everywhere,’ she said ominously.

Vania nodded slowly, ‘o-kay,’ she said, ‘but, yeah, Cole and I are dating,’ she announced, a satisfied grin on her face.

Skylor gaped ‘No fucking way’ she said ‘This is like a moment in history.’ Harumi nodded and grinned, ‘I knew it’ she said ‘I’m so happy for you two’ she said.

Vania shrugged, ‘I know it’s soon, but we really like each other,’ she said, ‘and we decided to just… go for it,’ she said, unsure if she was choosing the right words. Harumi nodded proudly, ‘If it was anyone, I’m happy it was you.’

Skylor snorted, ‘Stop talking about Cole like he’s your ex - he hates you,’ she told her bluntly. Harumi gasped, ‘he does not hate me!’ she said defensively, ‘Do you want me to bring up your failure of a relationship again?’ Skylor threw her hands in the air, ‘My relationship is not failing, Kai and I just don't want any strings attached, can’t you get it through your thick skull?’

Harumi snorted, ‘sure... whatever you say,’ she said sarcastically, ‘I’m gonna go and fix my eyeliner,’ she said, flouncing away.

Skylor rolled her eyes. ‘That crazy bitch,’ she muttered, ‘I love her, but she can be intense’ Vania laughed and sat down next to her, ‘I can see,’ she said. Skylor looked up from her food, an idea clearly striking. ‘Oh my god, you, Cole, Kai and I should go out together!’ she said, ‘like a double date!’

Vania forced a smile, ‘We so should,’ she agreed through gritted teeth.

‘What about after the game, before Rumi’s party?’ Skylor offered.

Vania froze, ‘Uhh… I think that’s okay’ she said. She and Cole needed to do some serious regrouping if it was actually going to happen; there was no way Cole’s best friend wouldn’t see through them if they spent a whole evening together.

The bell rang, and relief flooded through her. Skylor grabbed her arm. ‘C’mon, we gotta get to try-outs early if you want to get in,’ she said with a wink. ‘You’ve filled in the application, right?’ she asked, and Vania nodded. Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest; she didn’t realise she cared about getting onto the team this much.

They walked into the hall, and Skylor squeezed her shoulder ‘You got this, V,’ she said, before leaning in and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear ‘That’s better’ she said, ‘knock ‘em dead.’ Vania smiled, looking down as Skylor ran over to Harumi, who had just walked through the doors.

She went to sit with the other girls to wait for the try-outs to start. A girl with bright pink hair seemed to be in the middle of a heated conversation with the girl on her left, who had cherry red hair and a sour look on her face.

‘I told you not to come, I am not trying out with you,’ the redhead said. ‘I’m better than you in every way, you’ll just drag me down.’

The pink-haired girl had an unwavering smile on her face, ‘Well, I already signed us up together, Jordana,’ she replied. ‘So it looks like we are.’

Jordana huffed, ‘Well, Sora, you better be as good at cheer as you are at science, or I’ll plant firearms in your locker and get you kicked out of school.’ Sora froze ‘You what?’ she said.

‘Vania of Shintaro, please come up to the stage,’ a voice snapped. She looked over – a serpentine with dark green shimmering scales was staring at her expectantly from the seat at the front, ‘When you please’ she hissed.

Vania nodded, walked up to the front and introduced herself, deciding not to let her nerves get to her. After she listened to some of Cole’s criticisms, she was convinced she had the routine perfected. She performed a few basic cheers and then transitioned into her routine without any complications. She gave the cheer coach a winning smile at the end, who just narrowed her slitted eyes, and elegantly swooped her neck down to write something on her clipboard, ‘next,’ she said dryly.

She returned to Skylor and Harumi, out of breath, ‘How do you think I did?’ she asked, sitting down on the chair next to them. Skylor grinned, ‘Perfect,’ she said, and Harumi just folded her arms, ‘We’ll see,’ she muttered. Skylor gave Vania a glance that read ‘ignore her'

‘Aspheera was impressed, I’m telling you,’ She said, ‘that’s the most excited I’ve ever seen her,’ she added animatedly. Vania looked at her in confusion.

‘She’s not very enthusiastic.’ She explained, before grabbing Vania’s hand, ‘I hope you do get on the team,’ she whispered excitedly, ‘then we’d get to see each other every day!’

‘I’m Sora, and this is my friend Jordana.’ Vania looked up. ‘I’m not her friend,’ Jordana said quickly. ‘She’s my nemesis, actually.’ Sora ignored her and continued, ‘we’ll be doing a joint audition,’ she said, before whispering loudly to Aspheera, ‘please let us on the team… I’m scared for my future.'

Aspheera looked around in confusion, ‘Just do your routine,’ she said wearily.

The rest of the auditions went smoothly, and Vania was starting to get apprehensive after witnessing how good everyone was; she became increasingly aware of the fact that she had never practised cheer properly until now. She had done ballet classes and gymnastics ordered by her father, so that had to count for something, right? She snapped out of her daydreaming to see Skylor and Harumi in fits of giggles.

‘Wyldfyre,’ Aspheera said, sounding completely exasperated, 'to try out for the team, you have to learn the routine that I gave you – not stand there and scream your lungs out.’

Wyldfyre looked at her in outrage ‘But mine was so much better than all these basic boring ones?!’ she yelled. ‘You just don’t appreciate my talent!’ she said, throwing her water bottle on the floor and storming out of the room.

'You'll all regret this!' came her muffled voice.

Aspheera sighed, ‘I’m going home now,’ she said, ‘the results will be on the board on Monday,’ she told them all, and glided out the door, slamming it behind her. Vania groaned, ‘I’m going to be thinking about this all weekend,’ she complained. Skylor smiled ‘It’ll be okay. You were amazing’ she comforted her. Harumi stayed silent, still clearly annoyed with Skylor.

‘Shit,’ Vania said, ‘I’m going to be late for Cole’s game,’ she said. Harumi gasped, ‘Can we come too?!’ she asked, her face lighting up. Vania looked at her unsurely, ‘I’m not sure, I think you need to have a ticket’ Harumi pouted. ‘But you’re a wife of the game,’ she complained, ‘can’t Cole sort something out for his girlfriend’s amazing, gorgeous, and lovely friend?’

Skylor snorted ‘Please.’

Vania sighed, ‘Okay, both of you can come with me, but I can’t promise anything.’

They arrived at the arena, and they were still early, luckily. Some of the players were on the pitch practising, but she assumed the others must be in the locker rooms getting ready. ‘Wait here,’ she said to Skylor and Harumi.

She walked down the hallway looking for directions, and almost collided with Cinder, ‘Hey, do you know where Cole is?’ she asked him.

‘He actually just went to get a good luck snack from the vending machine,’ he replied with a smirk, and Vania smiled, ‘Thank you!’ she said, turning to leave. He grabbed her shoulder ‘Also, I think there may have been a client mix-up yesterday – so if you want to give me the stuff back-’ he began. ‘It’s all good!’ She cut him off, smiling brightly and patting him on the shoulder. ‘Gotta run’

He stared after her ‘That’s not what I-’

‘Cole!’ Vania exclaimed when she spotted him, looking at the vending machine in contempt and looking as if he was about to throw his skates at it. ‘Vania!’ he exclaimed when he saw her, his face lighting up. She threw herself at him, and they hugged tightly.

‘Good luck,’ she whispered, ‘you’re going to do great.’

He breathed out, ‘I’m stressing the fuck out,’ he said, ‘it’s not even competitive, I don’t know why.’ She put her hands on his cheeks ‘Well, whatever happens – I’m proud of you,’ she told him. He nodded and grinned, ‘I do have to go in a minute – is there anything else you need?’ She cringed, ‘I may have brought Harumi and Skylor,’ she confessed, ‘Can you let them in?’

‘Sure, I’ll talk to Vinny in a second,’ he told her. She breathed a sigh of relief, ‘You’re the best,’ she said, ‘I really don’t want to deal with a pissed off Harumi,’

He nodded knowingly.

‘Now get out of here,’ she teased. He grabbed the candy bar from the vending machine that had miraculously come unstuck and fallen from the shelf, ‘You’re a good luck charm,’ he told her with a grin. She laughed, ‘Go! Now!'

They managed to get let in, and the three of them sat down on a bench in the stands. Harumi squealed, ‘I’m so excited,’ she said, ‘Who do you think's gonna fight this match?’ Skylor laughed, ‘My bet's on Kai.’

'Fight?’ Vania asked, and Harumi chuckled. ' A big part of the game is physical intimidation - fights aren't technically allowed, but they still happen,’ she said, ‘makes it one of the most entertaining sports,’ she said gleefully. Vania nodded slowly, mildly disturbed at Harumi's bloodlust. ‘Has Kai ever gotten seriously injured?’ she asked Skylor, and she let out a low whistle ‘Let’s see,' she replied ‘Sprained make, dislocated shoulder – about three fractures, ’ she listed. ‘Jesus,’ Vania said. Skylor rolled her eyes. ‘The asshole does actively seek out fights, for any consolation,’ she said, ‘he has somewhat of an inflated ego.’

She watched the players file out of the doors on either side of the buffers, some going to sit on the benches and others taking their positions on the rink. Lloyd was giving out instructions, looking very serious. She spotted Cole, standing in front of the goal, stretching his shoulder. She had to fight not to wave at him. They were only a few rows from the rink, next to the aisle – so she had a pretty clear view.

The opposing team took their positions too, and Harumi stood up, 'You suck! Go home!’ she yelled, her tone bored. Skylor dragged her back down ‘Rumi!’ she scolded ‘It’s not even competitive!’ Harumi narrowed her eyes ‘Everything is competitive.’

Vania couldn’t help but laugh at her complete lack of shame.

The game started, and Vania quickly lost all ability to tell what was going on. ‘Where did the puck go?’ she whispered to Skylor, who shrugged, ‘Don’t ask me.’ She quickly learned to cheer when Cole saved goals, and stay quiet for everything else - since she wasn’t too sure what was actually happening. She was pretty sure they were winning.

‘Vania, it’s on the scoreboard,’ Harumi muttered, reading her mind. ‘Oh,’ she said, slightly embarrassed. ‘We’re winning!’ she said quietly. Skylor giggled softly.

There was a moment of conflict when Lloyd collided with another player, and they pushed him by the shoulders. Tox managed to stop Kai from getting involved, and Lloyd just ignored it and carried on. Harumi sighed, ‘boring.’

An intermission came, and Vania managed to catch Cole’s attention and wave at him. He waved back. Kai noticed and waved at her too, a mischievous grin on his face. Cole rolled his eyes and pushed him, and he almost fell off the bench. She looked at them in surprise before bursting out laughing.

The second period of the game began, and she was starting to feel restless. Skylor glanced at her ‘Want to go fix our hair in the bathroom?’ she asked her, and Vania nodded gratefully – she still had no idea what was going on. Harumi sighed, ‘I’m staying here,’ she said, ‘my hair is always perfect.’

They shuffled through the rows, onto the aisle, and through the passageway. She hoped Cole wouldn’t notice that she was gone. Skylor grabbed her hand and pulled her through the empty hallway. She felt her face heat up every time she did that, which was pretty often. ‘C’mon, I gotta show you something,’ Skylor said, and guided her into an empty room.

‘Is this… Coach Folson’s office?’ Vania asked, and Skylor nodded, biting her lip. ‘He’s busy, so we can hang out in here – and look, he has a TV!’ Vania looked at her incredulously, ‘I’m pretty sure that’s just a screen for PowerPoints and stuff,’

Skylor shook her head, ‘No, Kai and I come in here all the time on his days off, he totally has like all the streaming platforms.’ Vania gaped, ‘You’re crazy,’ she said. Skylor sat back on the spinning chair. ‘We don’t have to watch anything,’ she said, a teasing grin on her face. ‘How about you tell me how Cole asked you out?’ Vania felt herself tense up; they really should’ve rehearsed this more.

She sat on the desk above Skylor. ‘Well,’ she began, ‘we were just hanging out in his room and... he kissed me,’ she said, ‘and then, you know.’ Skylor looked up at her, ‘c’mon, V, there’s gotta be more to it,’ she said, ‘is he a good kisser?’ she prodded. Vania bit the insides of her cheek, ‘Yes…?’ she said, trying to sound sincere. Skylor laughed, ‘it’s fine, if you’re shy – I get it,’ she said, ‘I’ll get off your back’. Vania internally breathed a sigh of relief.

‘He’s a lucky man, though,’ Skylor teased, making eye contact with her. Her eyes were a beautiful amber colour, and the light from the window made them almost glow. Vania let out a light laugh, ‘Kai's very lucky to have you too,’ she replied, and Skylor sighed, ‘yeah,’ she said, her expression unreadable. ‘C’mon, we should get back out there before anyone notices.’ Skylor stood up from the chair, leaning over Vania to reach something from behind her, hands on either side of her. Their faces were inches apart, and Skylor gave her a wink, before brandishing a wrapped candy ‘lollipop?’ she offered, her tone mischievous, ‘Vinny keeps them on his desk to stop Cole from complaining about being hungry.’

Vania just about managed a nod, not even realising that she was holding her breath. She could feel Skylor's absence as she pulled away. Her heart was racing.

She unwrapped the candy and put it in her mouth, still speechless, and followed as Skylor gracefully walked out the door.

They snuck back in, and luckily it wasn’t obvious that they’d been gone. Harumi greeted them, 'What were you doing in the toilets?’ she asked with a sneer. ‘You were gone for like half an hour.’

Vania’s face went red. ‘Uh…’ she began. Skylor smirked, ‘You missed out, Rumi,’ she teased.

They were finally in the last period of the game, and Vania started to understand what was going on (to some extent). She watched as a winger from the other team skated determinedly to the other side, avoiding the players with ease, and aimed towards the goal. She bit her cheek nervously. The puck sped towards the goal, but Cole hit it away effortlessly, the crowd erupting into cheers. ‘FUCK YEAH!’ she shouted. Harumi burst out into a fit of giggles before standing up to join her, shouting her own praise.

She didn’t even used to curse, she thought with amusement. She blamed Cole. It definitely wasn’t something permitted in her "training" as a princess.

‘Is it over now?’ she whispered to Skylor, who nodded with a laugh, ‘It is,’ she replied, ‘you’re free.’

She sighed, ‘Oh, thank god.’ She spotted Cole skating towards the edge of the rink, taking off his helmet. His hair was ruffled, and she thought he looked kind of adorable. Harumi pushed her, ‘Go. Over. Now’ she said. Vania obeyed with a laugh. She met him at the railing.

‘Hey, there,’ he said, out of breath. She grinned ‘Well played’ she told him. ‘That was amazing.’ He shook his head, ‘You have no idea what happened, you big liar,’ he told her, a lopsided grin on his face.

‘Shut up,’ she murmured through gritted teeth. ‘I am trying to be a good girlfriend here,’ she said. He chuckled, ‘I apologise.’

She sighed, 'C'mon, we gotta kiss again,’ she said reluctantly.

He looked at her in fear. ‘What… why?’

She snorted, ‘How flattering,’ she remarked. He shot her a withering glare, ‘you're hilarious,’ he said sarcastically. She leaned closer, ‘We said we were going to debut our relationship, remember?’ she whispered, ‘literally everyone is here, and watching us.’

He pulled her in, ‘fine,’ he grumbled, but she saw a small smile on his face. They hugged tightly, and she snatched his hands up and put them on her waist, ‘Come on, Cole,’ she said, at least try to look less awkward.’ he stifled a laugh, and then leaned down to kiss her briefly. He scrunched his face up ‘Do you think that was enough?’ he whispered. She shrugged, ‘Eh, it’ll do,’ she said.

He grinned, ‘Well, I gotta go get changed and celebrate the victory – but I’ll see you after?’ he asked.

She grimaced.

‘One more thing - I may have accidentally got us invited on a double date,’ she confessed.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, ‘if you say with Skylor and Kai I’m going to-’ She nodded quickly, ‘yes, it’s with Skylor and Kai,’ she replied. ‘Oh, for fucks sake, Vania,’ he groaned. ‘Why didn’t you say no?’ She glared at him ‘You try talking to Skylor! It’s impossible to say no to her!’

He shook his head. ‘We’ll get through it,’ he said, as if he was trying to reassure himself ‘It’s not going to be fun, though,’ he warned. She nodded, ‘I know – we need to have a run through on all the lies cause I’m starting to get confused’ He let out a laugh, ‘You don’t say’

She smiled. ‘Bye!’

He flashed her a menacing grin. ‘See you later, baby,’ he replied, pushing away from the railing and skating away from her.

She put her face in her hands, ‘Please don’t ever say that again,’ she complained, hoping no one was listening to them.

Chapter Text

‘Hurry up!’ Cole shouted, throwing another stone at the window, ‘We’re going to be late for our self-inflicted hell!’ he added spitefully. ‘Oh my god, please get over it.’ Vania’s exasperated head appeared above him, ‘it’s not going to be that bad’ she told him, throwing her legs over the balcony. ‘It’s only one meal’

Cole dragged his hands down his face, ‘a meal that consists of Kai interrogating us about our entire ‘relationship’ and then pestering me about it forever’. Vania was sitting on the edge, ‘you’re just making stuff up now,’ she scolded, ‘we can just have a normal conversation like adults!’

He sighed, ‘You don’t know Kai like I know him,’ he said, ‘this is going to be torture.’ She gripped the beams, ‘Catch me!’ she yelled, and dropped down off the ledge. This time, he managed not to topple them both over, grabbing her by the waist and swinging her around so she landed on her feet with a thud.

She brushed the dust off her dress before smiling at him brightly, ‘Thank you!’

It was already dark, and the stars were just starting to emerge above them. The sky was a deep purple, and streaks of orange and pink highlighted the clouds.

He groaned, ‘I have to fake my death’ he said, ‘it’s the only way’ she gave him a withering glare, ‘we just need to get it over with’ she told him, ‘it’s just a meal with people we are both friends with, I promise you, you’ll be fine’ he looked away, toying with the strings of his hoodie ‘I guess I’m just stressed about Kai catching on’ he admitted, ‘he can always tell when I’m lying’

She squeezed his hand, ‘Well, this time I’m here with you!’ she said, ‘and I’m an excellent liar.’ He laughed, ‘Oh, really?’ he asked, raising his eyebrow. ‘How do you think I’ve survived this long with a father like mine? I just got good at lying’ she said with a wink. Cole shook his head, ‘You’re always full of surprises.’

‘Okay, before we get there, let’s do a run through of the flashcards,’ she said once they started walking, and he froze. ‘You forgot the flashcards!?’ she asked him.

‘Look, I’m sorry I’ve just got a lot on my mind at the moment,’ he apologised. She sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples, ‘Okay, I think I can remember some of them,’ she said, ‘what’s my father’s name?’ she asked. Cole contemplated for a second; it was on the tip of his tongue. Well, he knew her father was a king, so he had to think of a king’s name, right?

‘Gary,’ he said confidently, and she groaned, ‘it’s King Vangelis,’ she said, ‘this is hopeless’

‘Hey!’ he protested, ‘you were the one who wanted to do this.’ She narrowed her eyes, not saying anything.

‘Wait, let me do one,’ he said, ‘what’s my favourite food?’ he asked her, and she hesitated, ‘…all of it?’ she answered. He glared at her ‘It’s cake’ he said ‘I feel like you knew that’ she giggled. ‘Okay fine… what’s the name of my pet dragon?’ she asked. He stared at her incredulously, ‘You have a pet dragon?’ She nodded, ‘Yeah, have you not met Chompy?’ he snorted, ‘well, considering I’ve never been into your home, I’d say no’ he said, ‘and out of anything you called it Chompy? if I had a dragon I’d call it something awesome like… Rocky’ She rolled her eyes, ‘that’s like basically the same name,’ she told him, ‘and I named him when I was younger.’ She said defensively.

‘Okay, I’ve got it, Chompy sounds great – but I don’t see how this is relevant to the meal?’ he asked.

She sighed, ‘I’ll just make stuff up,’ she said, ‘as long as I’m not caught off guard, that should be fine – just sit there and try and say as little as possible’

He grinned, ‘I can do that’

They made it into the city and Vania waved goodbye to her driver once they got out, who Cole assumed was being coerced into silence since she apparently has ‘information on all the staff that they wouldn’t want the king to know’ He tried telling her that it did count as blackmail, but she dismissed him. ‘it’s light-hearted’  

Vania looked around, ‘It’s the noodle house, right?’ she asked, and Cole nodded, guiding her towards the entrance. ‘Yeah, Skylor’s dad owns the place,’ he explained, ‘so we get a discount.’ She took a deep breath, ‘We’ve got this,’ she whispered. He smiled down at her, ‘I don’t think I ever thanked you for doing this,’ he told her. She put a hand on his arm. ‘You don’t have to thank me, Cole – we’re both helping each other.’ he nodded gratefully, and grabbed her hand, ‘c’mon, let's go in’

‘There you are!’ Kai said once he spotted them, pulling him in for a brief hug. ‘I feel like I haven’t seen you outside of practice in ages, man,’ he said. Cole shrugged, ‘I guess I’ve been busy,’ he said, and Kai cocked his head to one side, ‘with your girl,’ he said playfully, giving Vania a wink. ‘Soon you’re going to forget about me entirely’

Cole rolled his eyes, ‘as if’ he said, sitting down in the booth, ‘how could I ever forget someone as infuriating as you?’ Kai kicked him under the table, ‘Hey! I thought you were going to say something nice for once!’ he complained. Vania laughed and sat down next to Cole, waving to Skylor.

They made small talk for a while, and Cole began to hope that maybe it wouldn’t go as badly as he had catastrophized in his head.

‘So, you guys up to anything before this?’ Kai asked, throwing an arm around Skylor. Cole shook his head before he saw that Vania was nodding. She paused,

‘Uh… he means we weren’t doing anything exciting, he was just hanging out with me at home,’ she said, shooting him a slightly frightening smile.

He nodded quickly, ‘yep! Just hanging out… with her father… the king, he said, ‘who loves me, by the way.’ She kicked him under the table. ‘Ow?’ he mouthed, ‘What was that for?’

Skylor looked at them in confusion, ‘I thought Vania’s dad was away on his negotiations trip still?’ she asked. Kai shook his head in amazement, ‘Man, it’s so weird that we’re just at dinner with a real princess right now,’ he said, clearly oblivious to what was happening. Cole bit back a laugh and looked at Vania again, who still had a smile plastered across her face whilst also looking like she wanted to strangle him with the tablecloth.

‘This joker!’ she said with an awkward laugh, grabbing him by the shoulders. ‘he’s always messing around – you’re so hilarious, babe! You know you haven’t met my father yet,’ Kai laughed loudly, ‘he’s a funny one,’ he joined in. ‘You know me!’ Cole said hysterically, lightly punching Vania in the arm. She shot him a questioning look, before violently tilting her head, what? He mouthed. Stop treating me like I’m your bro? she mouthed back discreetly when Skylor turned her head.

Fuck. He leaned over, kissing the side of her face and putting an arm around her. She leaned into him, the smile never leaving her face. Skylor looked at her concerned, ‘Are you feeling okay, Vania?’ She asked. Vania nodded, ‘Of course? Why wouldn’t I be?’

‘Let's order now, please,’ he interjected desperately. Kai laughed, ‘The noodles aren’t going to disappear,’ he teased. Cole nodded, ‘Yeah, but don’t we want to get going to the party soon?’ he said, ‘Vania has to be home early, don’t you, Vania?’ he said, kicking her under the table. ‘Yes!’ she said, turning to look at them quickly, ‘let's order right now’

The food came quickly, and Cole tried to enjoy the few seconds without interrogation. He almost began to relax.

‘So, how did you and Vania meet again?’ Kai asked, through a mouthful of food ‘I still can’t believe how quickly you started dating,’ he added. ‘In math class,’ Cole said quickly. ‘She helped me with my work.’ Kai snorted, ‘How romantic.’ Vania’s smile somehow managed to widen further, ‘We also hung out outside of school,’ she interjected, looping her arm through his. He nodded.

‘We got ice cream together last Saturday, and we just immediately clicked - he’s just so… amazing,’ she smiled, ‘I mean, look at these muscles!’ she added, grabbing his arm, ‘who wouldn’t want a piece of that?’ He grimaced, ‘getting kinda weird now,’ he warned under his breath. Kai was looking at him, his expression unreadable. ‘You said you weren’t with anyone last Saturday?’ he said, ‘I thought you lost track of time at the gym, and that was why you didn’t come over till late?’

Cole couldn’t think of anything to reply, ‘…uh, I don’t remember that’ Vania laughed agitatedly, ‘hey, Cole, can I talk to you outside for one sec?’ she asked, and before he could say anything she began dragging him with her, ‘we’ll be one sec, just couple stuff’ she added, with a dismissive wave.

Kai looked at Skylor in confusion, and she shrugged casually. ‘I don’t know?’

‘What the fuck’ she whispered, her eyes wide ‘this is a disaster, we sound like crackheads!’ Cole gritted his teeth, ‘I told you!’ he whispered back frenziedly. ‘There’s no way they’re buying this.’ Vania rubbed her face with her hands, ‘we’ve got to get out of here as quickly as possible, because I don’t know how much longer I can do this – I don’t know what came over me!’

Cole sighed, ‘I’ve got to tell them you’re on drugs’ he said ‘it’s the only option’ she looked at him in shock, ‘WHAT!?’ she protested, ‘why would that even-’ he threw his hands in the air, ‘well, we’ve got to do something, do you have any better ideas?’ he interrupted. She sighed, ‘We just need to act natural - we’re forcing it too much and it’s making us sound ridiculous,’ she said, ‘let’s just act like we normally do, and then occasionally do couple stuff.’

He pinched the bridge of his nose, ‘This is way more complicated than I thought it was going to be,’ he said, ‘it’s only half an hour until we’re picking up Nya, and once we’re at the party it’ll be a whole lot easier,’ he added. She nodded, ‘we’ve got to go back in, they’re gonna think we’re arguing’

He nodded and took a deep breath before nudging her with his shoulder. ‘It’s still not too late for me to tell them you’re addicted to ketamine, but you’re planning to quit just for me,’ he offered. She stared at him, ‘seriously, what the fuck is your problem?’

‘Sorry about that,’ Vania said, sitting down. ‘Cole’s having some personal problems,’ he looked at her in betrayal. What did that even mean!?

‘I'm sorry,’ she mouthed desperately, ‘I panicked.’

Kai nodded understandingly, ‘We’ve all been there, man, don’t worry about it.’ he looked around in disbelief, ‘Been where!?’ he asked, incredulous. Skylor cut in, ‘You brought the drinks, right, babe?’ she asked Kai, ‘Rumi’s texting me’

He nodded, ‘I got everything in the trunk of my car,’ he answered, ‘Chad got them for me.’ Cole looked at him in confusion, ‘Who’s Chad?’ he asked. Kai looked at him in surprise, ‘Chad!? You know Chad – everyone knows Chad!’ he exclaimed. He looked at Skylor blankly, who shrugged, ‘Just go with it,’ she whispered.

They finished their food, and Kai and Cole walked over to the bar to pay for the meal. ‘it’s so awesome that our girlfriends are so close’ he said, ‘we can hang out like this all the time, it’ll be great’ Cole nodded ‘so great!’ he replied, internally wanting to throw himself into the incoming traffic.

There was a silence, and he contemplated bringing up the conversation from earlier ‘Hey, about the other day,’ he began, ‘I’m sorry for lying, I guess I just didn’t want to tell you about Vania until I was sure about her,’ he said. That wasn’t a complete lie.

Kai patted him on the shoulder. ‘It's cool, buddy, don’t worry about it,’ he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

‘HEY!’ Nya shouted, ‘I’M OVER HERE, DICKWAD’

Kai jerked the car abruptly, backing over the curb. ‘Jesus!’ Skylor exclaimed, ‘are you trying to get us all killed?’ Nya slammed the door shut behind her, ‘How on earth did you even get your license?’ she asked. Kai rolled his eyes, ‘You’re just jealous that Mom wouldn’t pay for your lessons.’ She sighed bitterly, folding her arms, ‘Just drive, loser.’

Vania gasped, ‘You look so beautiful!’ she said to Nya, who smiled widely, ‘You look gorgeous too, I love your dress!’ she complimented her back. Skylor folded her arms in the front seat, ‘ahem’ she cleared her throat, a glint of amusement in her eye. Nya laughed, ‘You look as beautiful as always, Sky – you don’t need reminding,’ she told her. Skylor gasped and put a hand to her chest, ‘You flatter me.’ Kai frowned, ‘Hey, how come you never tell me I look hot, Cole?’ he said jokingly. Cole coughed, trying not to choke on air.

‘Hmm?’ he asked, his voice strained.

‘We all look great!’ Vania interjected quickly, grabbing Cole’s hand. ‘Are we almost there?’ she added.

He felt like he could kiss her.

Well, maybe not the right choice of wording, but the point still stands.

Kai grinned, ‘Yeah, this is her place,’ he said.

‘Oh my god,’ Cole whispered. The building itself was enormous, not even counting the pool and guest house. ‘No wonder she acts so stuck up,’ he breathed. Vania grabbed his arm, ‘c’mon!’ she said excitedly, ‘I’ve never been to a party before!’ He laughed and let himself be dragged along by her. 

A frantic Harumi opened the door for them, ‘Is Kai here with the drinks?’ she asked desperately, ‘I’m having to give everyone my mom’s protein shakes and tell them it’s a new type of cocktail.’ Shouts were coming from inside the house, and it seemed like most people had already arrived.

Cole snorted, ‘yeah, he’s just coming,’ he said, realizing he’d just left him to carry about ten bottles of liquor and a twelve-pack of beer by himself. He turned around to see him walking through the door, Skylor at his heel. ‘Oh, thank god,’ Harumi exclaimed, grabbing one of the bags off him and checking through the contents

‘Hey bitchesss!!!’ Skylor grinned before hugging Harumi and dragging Vania into it, who laughed and let herself be spun around. ‘Oh my god, let’s go and mix the drinks,’ Harumi said, grabbing both their arms. ‘I need to get wasted right now.’

Cole thought it was sweet how quickly they adopted Vania into their group, even if they were slightly unhinged and probably not the best influence on someone with her lack of previous social connection.

Vania looked over at him, ‘You okay if I go?’ she asked. ‘I don’t mind staying,’ he waved her off, ‘of course, go have fun,’ he told her. She smiled, ‘If you need me, call me, I’ll pick up straight away.’ he nodded, ‘See you later!’ She kissed him on the cheek and let Harumi guide her through the crowd.  

Kai grabbed his shoulder, ‘Let’s go find Lloyd,’ he said. ‘I’m coming too,’ Nya said, latching onto Cole’s arm. ‘I need to talk to him about something.’ He looked at her inquisitively ‘It’s fine, just personal stuff’

They finally spotted him, leaning against the wall by the table full of drinks and snacks, talking to Jay and Zane. ‘Hey, man!’ Kai said, pulling him in for a brief hug. ‘Hey, guys!’ he said with a smile, ‘I’ve been waiting for you forever’ Cole shot him an apologetic look, ‘sorry if we left you alone with you know who, we didn’t realise how late we were’ Lloyd shook his head with a grin, ‘it’s cool, she actually left me alone for once – which is slightly odd’ Kai laughed, ‘maybe she’s finally over tormenting you’ he said, and Lloyd shrugged, ‘I can only hope’

‘How are you guys?’ Cole asked, turning to Jay and Zane, cracking open the beer that Kai had given him a few minutes ago ‘How are we feeling about the win?’ Jay grinned cockily, ‘we kicked ass’ he said, fist bumping him ‘and how about that last save?’ he prodded, ‘Insane’

Cole hid his smile, ‘give it up,’ he said, and Jay laughed, ‘and he’s modest? No wonder the princess chose him.’ Zane stared at them unblinking, tilting his head, ‘I, too, found your save rather remarkable,’ he said blankly. Cole smiled, ‘Thanks, buddy!’ he said, hitting him lightly in the arm. Jay looked over at Lloyd and Nya, who were deep in conversation ‘hold my drink’ he whispered to him, ‘I’m going in’ Cole looked at Zane in confusion, who started to explain ‘Jay has-’ Jay elbowed him in the ribs ‘Hey!’ he interjected, laughing awkwardly, before turning towards him in frustration, ‘what did I say about telling everyone my business?’ he said through gritted teeth.

Zane looked at him vacantly, ‘I cannot lie, it is not in my programmi-’ he began, but Jay laughed again, clamping a hand over his mouth.

He dragged him away, ‘one second - we’ll be right back, just need to fix something!’ he said to Cole, who just stared after him in confusion.

He turned back to Kai ‘What’s their whole deal?’ he asked. He shrugged, ‘No idea’

Kai dragged Cole away from where everyone was standing, ‘C’mon, let's go and get more drinks for the table,’ he said. Cole let him hang on to his arm in order not to get lost in the crowd, ‘Maybe I can get you to dance if you drink enough beer’ Cole laughed. No way in hell that was happening. ‘In your dreams,’ he remarked with an eye roll. Kai grinned.

Cole had always avoided drinking at parties for multiple reasons, one being that he didn’t want to slip up and accidentally out himself to all his friends, but this time he felt unusually relaxed.  Even though he didn’t know where Vania was at that moment, her presence helped him feel more at ease – it was comforting knowing he had one person on his side, he found.

The kitchen was quiet compared to every other room in the house, and Cole assumed Vania Skylor and Harumi had found somewhere else to hang out. Kai handed him a cider, ‘Where do you wanna hang out?’ he asked, leaning casually against the kitchen table.

His usually spiked-up light brown hair was drooping across his forehead due to the humidity, and Cole couldn’t help but find it charming. ‘Dude, your hair is completely in your eyes right now’ he said, and Kai glared at him, ‘I can tell that, asshole’ he said ‘I don’t walk around with hair gel in my pockets’ Cole smirked, leaning closer to him and moving it out of his eyes, ‘let me fix it’ he said.

Kai scrunched his face up, ‘get your grimy hands out of my perfect hair,’ he said.

Cole gasped, ‘grimy?’ he said, ‘rude’.

Kai laughed, grabbing his hands and holding them tightly,

‘Stop it right now or I’m going to look like I messed around with an electrical socket.’

Cole laughed ‘You look great’  

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ Jay said jokingly, putting a bag on the counter. Kai let go of Cole’s hands immediately, ‘we’re just hanging out in here, it’s cool,’ he said with a cough. Zane walked in, carrying another large bag full of glasses over his shoulder with ease.

‘Woah, do you need help with that?’ Cole asked, and Jay shook his head, ‘he’s got it,’ he replied. Zane set everything down on the table and smiled at them. ‘Hello,’ he said, and Cole realized that might be the most excited he had ever seen the guy. Kai nodded, ‘Hey man,’ he said, ‘what you guys up to?’ Jay shrugged, ‘we're just chilling,’ he said, ‘might go dance.’

Kai grinned, ‘Cole and I were just about to back out, too,’ he said. Cole was starting to feel lightheaded. ‘Huh?’ he asked, ‘I told you, I’m not dancing,’ he added reproachfully. Kai picked up a bag off the table, ‘Well, I’m going, so make up your mind,’ he said, his tone playful.

Cole sighed and picked up the pack of beer that was left on the table and followed Kai Zane and Jay to the main room, where music was blasting out of the speakers that Harumi had set up, and coloured lights lit up the dark room.

People were hanging out and dancing together and in groups, and cups were scattered all over the floor. He pitied the sucker that had to clean all that up.

He spotted Tox and Chamille on the couch at the back, and contemplated going over to say hi, but before he could, Kai gripped him by the arm, ‘Seriously dude, just come on’ he said, and Cole shook his head, ‘I’m gonna wait here’ he said, ‘just go without me’

Kai raised an eyebrow, letting him go slowly ‘…if you say so.' He turned around to walk out into the crowd, before pausing, ‘If you need me, call me,’ he said, and Cole nodded, smiling at him for reassurance.

He leaned against the wall, exhaling the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He didn’t hate parties, but this one felt particularly oppressive - he found himself already wanting to go home. He took another sip of his cider, starting to feel slightly lightheaded.

He waited there for a while, until the people in front of him began to blur into a sea of motion against a background of vibrant colours, moving in a distorted synchronization. His head hurt.

‘Cole?’ came a voice from beside him, and he almost jumped out of his skin. ‘Vania!’ he exclaimed. She launched onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck,

‘Thank god I found you,’ she rushed out, ‘it’s been an absolute shit show.’ he hugged her back, ‘thank god I found you,’ he said, ‘I look like a depressed loner right now.’

She laughed, ‘Not feeling it?’

He grimaced, ‘can’t say I’m enjoying myself,’ he replied. She sighed, ‘yeah, it’s intense’ wobbling on her feet slightly, he raised an eyebrow, ‘how much have you had to drink?’ he asked, and she rolled her eyes, ‘not that much’ she replied, ‘why do you care, anyway? You’re not my real boyfriend’ she said with a giggle.

He let out a snort of amusement before shooting her a warning glare, ‘Keep your voice down,’ he said, ‘and I’m still your friend, so I should be allowed to care, thanks.’

She grinned, ‘you’re sweet,’ she said, ‘but I’m fine.’ he gave her a half smile, ‘good.’

‘You wanna dance?’ she asked, and he put his face in his hands, ‘Why is everyone obsessed with trying to get me to dance?’

She looked at him, her expression deadpan ‘You are so dramatic’ she said, ‘all you have to do is stand there, sway, and occasionally put your hands in the air.’ He shook his head, ‘Not happening,’ he refused. ‘What if we danced together?’ she asked, ‘you literally just have to put your arms around me.’

He narrowed his eyes, ‘I’m not moving at all,’ he said. She chuckled, ‘Okay, Mr. Serious, let’s go,’ she said, grabbing his hand and twirling through the crowd of people.

They settled at the edge of the floor, where it was less crowded. She put her hands on his shoulders, and he pulled her in by the waist.

‘I actually think we’re doing a great job at being a couple,’ he whispered in her ear, and she grinned, ‘we’re getting better at it’ she agreed, before he noticed her face tense slightly, and he tilted his head, ‘you worried about something?’ he asked her, and she paused,

‘I know it’s not the right time to ask… ' she trailed off, 'what are your plans for the future?’ she enquired, ‘we can’t do this forever, obviously.’ he stared at her, ‘I wasn’t thinking that far ahead,’ he said cautiously, feeling the stress creeping back in. She sighed, ‘I’m sorry, Cole, I guess I'm just overthinking it,’ she said, ‘I don’t want to put pressure on you, I know you aren’t going to tell anyone the truth, and I’m okay with that, I promise.’

He twirled her around, ‘No, you’re right’ he agreed, ‘I know it’s not stable, and I don’t want to end up in a whole network of lies’ he said ‘but we have each other, we can figure something out if it starts to get too complicated’ she nodded, giving him a smile, ‘I know’ she said, ‘I have faith in us’

They danced in silence for a while, swaying back and forth beneath the lights, and Cole began to find the rhythm and her soft breathing soothing.

She suddenly clutched his arm, ‘wait, that’s what I was finding you for!’ she said suddenly, ‘Harumi’s having a crisis’ she said, ‘I needed your help’ He sighed, ‘yeah, that usually happens’ he said, ‘please tell me Lloyd isn’t involved this time’

She looked at him guiltily, ‘We should probably go save him now.’ Cole groaned, ‘Hold my drink.’

He pushed through the crowd, not caring if people gave him annoyed glances, Vania holding his hand and telling him where to go. They walked up the stairs, and Vania tried her best to debrief him, but he couldn’t properly make out what she was saying with the blaring music.

‘Hey, what’s going on?’ he asked, opening the door to Harumi’s room on the second floor. Harumi spun around, ‘Get him out of here!’ she said furiously, ‘this is between me and Lloyd!’

Lloyd rubbed his face with his hands, ‘Please, Rumi, just let him in,’ he said, obviously frustrated. Cole walked through the door, touching his shoulder, ‘You wanna go?’

He shook his head, ‘I need her to agree to stop spreading rumours about me before I can go,’ he said, giving her an expectant look.

‘Ugh!’ she said ‘I told you, I didn’t even say anything’ Lloyd stood up, ‘for fucks sake, Harumi – you keep making it out to everyone I treated you like shit when you’re the one who cheated on me’

Vania gasped, ‘Rumi!’ she said, ‘you told me he broke up with you for no reason!’ Cole scoffed, ‘Please,’ he said, ‘she’s a pathological liar’

Harumi balled her hand into a fist, her makeup starting to run, ‘you’re all obsessed with making it seem like I’m some evil bitch who forced Lloyd to tolerate her’ she said, ‘we loved each other!’

Lloyd looked at her in outrage, ‘Jesus Christ, I’m not here to talk about whether we cared about each other or not, I need you to stop telling people insane lies about me’ he said ‘I’m not in the mood to argue with someone drunk off their ass right now, just tell me you won’t keep doing it and we’ll settle this another time’

She glared at them, tilting over slightly ‘I didn’t even say anything bad’ she slurred, ‘you’re overreacting’ Cole threw his hands in the air, ‘Lloyd, this is useless’ he said, ‘she needs to go to bed, and you need to leave her alone’ he said, finally deciding to step in.

Lloyd stared at him before relenting, ‘Okay, I’ll go,’ he agreed, standing up, ‘but this isn’t over, Rumi,’ he warned.

Cole breathed an internal sigh of relief and clapped him on the shoulder, ‘Kai and Nya are just in the other room,’ he told him, and Lloyd nodded, ‘Thanks, man – see you later,’ he said, closing the door behind him.

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose, ‘Vania, help me get her to bed,’ he said, and she knelt down next to Harumi, who rolled her eyes in annoyance, ‘I’m fine,’ she said, ‘let me go back out, it’s my party.’ Vania bit the side of her lip, ‘Rumi,’ she said softly, ‘I don’t think you’re in the right state to go back out right now,’ she said, ‘just get in bed, and I’ll come get you later when you’re feeling better’

Cole could see tears pricking at the corner of her eyes as she looked up at her, ‘Do you think I’m a bad person?’ she asked with a hiccup, and he was taken aback by the vulnerability in her voice. Vania chuckled lightly, stroking her hair, ‘Of course not,’ she said, giving her a soft smile, ‘you just make questionable decisions sometimes.’ Harumi let out a half-laugh half sob, ‘you’re too nice to me,’ she said before her eyelids fluttered shut and she fell onto Vania’s shoulder.

Cole looked at her in concern, ‘Jesus, how much has she had to drink?’ he asked, ‘a lot,’ Vania said. ‘Sky did tell her to slow down, but she wouldn’t listen.’

She gently guided Harumi to the bed and tucked her into the covers, soothing her as she briefly gained consciousness, turning restlessly. They stayed with her until they were sure she had passed out again, and Vania motioned towards the door, ‘We should probably leave her to get some rest,’ she whispered.

Harumi looked almost serene and peaceful in sleep, and Cole almost forgot how infuriating she was. Her platinum hair was spilling out over her dark green bedding, forming a shimmery trail that cascaded over her shoulders. Vania came and stood next to him, furrowing her brows and looking deep in thought, ‘She’s so beautiful,’ she sighed, and Cole snorted, ‘Shame she's an actual demon spawn,’ he remarked, switching off the light. Vania paused in the doorway, ‘I don’t know,’ she said, ‘I think there might be more to her.’ Cole patted her shoulder, ‘I think we might have to agree to disagree on this one, V.’

They stepped into the stairwell, both breathing a sigh of relief. ‘That was intense,’ Vania whispered, and Cole looked at her wearily, ‘it happens nearly every time, they really have some unresolved issues, ’ he said, and she blinked in disbelief, ‘Jeez’

‘Oh, for fucks sake, walk away, then!’

Cole startled and spun around to see a furious Skylor, who pushed past him, eager to get to the doorway, ‘Just leave it alone, Kai’ she said, her voice calm but clearly just shy of an outburst.

‘Is that your answer for everything?’ he prodded, ‘So, what? We just never talk to each other?’

She gritted her teeth, ‘With you? Yes!’ she said exasperatedly, ‘trying to have a serious conversation with you is completely agonizing,’ she spat. He glared after her ‘Oh, really?’ he asked, ‘Why have me around then?’ he sneered. She laughed humourlessly, ‘have a guess’ and he tilted his head back with a groan, ‘real mature, Skylor’ he remarked, ‘I’ll be right here when you grow the fuck up and drop the attitude!’ he yelled across the hallway.

She raised her eyebrows, her expression turning vicious. She grabbed Vania's arm ‘I don’t want to see you again,’ she said bluntly, ‘don’t try and find me, Kai, seriously.’

Vania looked at Cole desperately, ‘I’m going to go with her,’ she mouthed, and he shrugged, ‘I’ll text you later,’ he mouthed back. She nodded, following Skylor back into the main room. Kai put his face in his hands, ‘fucking hell’ he said, ‘I’m so done with her shit’ he sat down on the stairs.

Cole looked at him questioningly, ‘Where’s Lloyd?’ he asked suddenly, and Kai looked up, ‘uhh… I don’t know’ Cole groaned, ‘fuck’ he muttered. What the hell was in the air tonight? Kai leaned back, downing the rest of his drink, ‘whatever, go find him,’ he said, ‘we can talk later.’ Cole didn’t have time for his weird cryptic bullshit, ‘alright’ he said, ‘see you later, man’

He creaked the final door in the hallway open, ‘Jesus, there you are!’ he said, ‘I keep getting traumatised walking into the bedrooms,’ he joked.

Lloyd laughed quietly, ‘Yeah, that tends to happen,’ he agreed, before rubbing his face with his hands and sighing deeply. ‘You alright, kid?’ Cole asked, sitting down next to him ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘I’m good’ and Cole smiled, ‘Good’ he replied, ‘I’m missing you in the mornings, though’ he said, nudging him, ‘The walks to school have been boring without you and your donut supply’

Lloyd grimaced, ‘Sorry, dude,’ he said, ‘there’s been a lot going on.’

Cole shook his head, ‘it’s cool,’ he said, ‘you wanna talk about it?’

Lloyd sighed, ‘My parents are getting divorced,’ he said finally, after a long pause.  

‘Jesus, Lloyd – I’m so sorry,’ he said gently. He shrugged, ‘Yeah, I know – it’s not even that big of a deal, I don’t know why I’m so bent out of shape over it,’ he said, and Cole frowned, ‘It is a big deal, Lloyd, ’ he said, ‘it fucking sucks’

Lloyd let out a dry laugh. ‘I don’t know, I should’ve seen it coming,’ he said, ‘my mom is away so much with work that they barely saw each other, anyway,’ he said, ‘I just didn’t think it would go this far’

Cole squeezed his shoulder, ‘I’m always gonna be here for you, Lloyd, ’ he said, and he nodded, ‘I know,’ he said softly, ‘I should’ve told you sooner, I just didn’t want people to make it into something massive.’

Cole nodded, ‘I get that,’ he said. Lloyd groaned, ‘I just feel like a huge jerk, complaining to you about my parents splitting up, when you’ve been through so much worse, I’m sorry.’

Cole furrowed his brows, ‘dude, what happened to me was an entirely different situation,’ he said, ‘and I would never not take you seriously about something like this.’ Lloyd nodded, ‘I know, I just don’t think I’m thinking straight at the moment.’ Cole brought him in for a hug, ‘you can talk to me about anything,’ he said, and Lloyd hugged him back, ‘thank you,’ he said, his voice wavering, ‘I knew you would understand’

‘Can you… not tell Kai, just for now?’ he added, ‘I just can’t deal with any more conversations about it.’

Cole nodded, ‘Of course,’ he said, ‘whatever you want.’

Even though he was glad that Lloyd felt comfortable enough to open up to him, he felt like he was on the verge of bursting with the amount of stress he was under; the problems just seemed to keep coming.

‘You wanna go back out?’ he offered, and Lloyd nodded, ‘yeah,’ he agreed, standing up and shaking his head, ‘C’mon.’

They found Kai still sitting on the bottom of the stairs. ‘You coming?’ Lloyd asked, motioning to the doorway. He looked up, his features returning to his usual arrogant smirk, ‘Duh,’ he said, taking another swig of what Cole presumed was a new drink. He stood up, and Cole looked at him in concern, ‘You good?’ he asked, and Kai tilted his head, ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ he asked, and Cole shook his head with a laugh, ‘Whatever, I’m not doing this with you’ Kai grinned, ‘doing what?’ Cole rolled his eyes, ‘you being obviously upset, and then pretending that everything is fine a few moments later.’ Lloyd flicked his eyes between them, ‘let’s just go,’ he said, walking into the kitchen. Kai scoffed, ‘I am fine,’ he argued, before complying and following Lloyd.

Cole sighed and begrudgingly walked through the kitchen and into the lounge. He leaned against the doorframe and scanned the room to see if he could see Vania, but he couldn’t catch a glimpse of golden hair anywhere.

Lloyd grinned when he spotted Nya, Jay, and Zane standing by the drinks table, deep in conversation. Kai grinned, walking over to them ‘Hey Nya’ he said, and she jumped, ‘Jesus, don’t sneak up on me like that’ she scowled. He snickered, ‘Where’s the fun in that?’ 

Lloyd held back a laugh. ‘How are you guys?’ he asked. Jay shrugged, ‘I’m alright,’ he said, his words slightly slurred, ‘Zane is wasted, though’ he whispered, ‘we’re starting to worry about him’

Zane stared at him in confusion, ‘I’m incapable of becoming ‘wasted’ he said, his tone deadpan, ‘if either of us has consumed too much alcohol, it would not be me,’ he remarked.

Jay shot Lloyd a knowing glance, ‘see?’ he whispered, his hand covering his mouth, ‘he’s hysterical and talking nonsense’

Cole snorted, ‘I’m not getting involved in whatever this is’ he said, and Kai laughed, opening his mouth to speak, before quickly shutting it, ‘fuck’ he muttered ‘everyone act normal’ he whispered. Cole looked around in confusion. ‘What?’

‘If it isn’t the future king of Shintaro,’ a voice behind him said scathingly, and he slowly turned around.

Fuck.

Why was he always the victim?

‘Although I really don’t see the relationship lasting that long’

‘What do you want?’ Lloyd asked in annoyance, and Bansha smirked, ‘Just coming over to talk,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘Is that not allowed?’ she asked. ‘I wanted to congratulate Cole,’

‘You and the princess are so sweet.’ she sneered. He sighed, fighting the urge to just run away, ‘Where is she right now?’ she pressed.

He shrugged, ‘I don’t know,’ he admitted, ‘if you need her, she’ll be with Skylor. ’

She grinned, ‘Oh, I don’t need her, I’m just wondering how this came to be,’ she mused, ‘are you like her project or something? Or like a rebellion against her parents? What’s the deal there?’

Cole sighed, ‘Whatever,’ he said, turning back around to his friends.

Bansha cackled, ‘I guess it must say something about her desperation if she pounces on the first guy who looks at her,’ she said, ‘especially when that guy is a mess who’s never had a girlfriend until his last year at high school – I mean, c’mon, what’s the reason behind that?’ she prodded, her tone leering. He gritted his teeth. Just ignore her. ‘You’ve gotta be a secret freak or something’

‘Oh, hell no’ Nya pushed her way to the front, pushing Cole behind her, ‘Say that shit again,’ she said, starting to pull her hair up into a hair tie. Bansha snickered, ‘How sweet,’ she said mockingly, pointing at her, ‘do you really need your friend to protect you?’

Nya laughed dryly, ‘We all know Cole could take you out in a second,’ she said, ‘he’s just a gentleman.’

Bansha snorted, ‘…whatever you say,’ she replied, rolling her eyes.

‘You really wanna test me?’ Nya laughed again, getting in her face, ‘you talk big for someone who looks like they haven’t showered in years, ’ she said, ‘keep talking and I will beat your malnourished ass’ she threatened ‘and considering the fact that you look like you’re a sickly victim of a flesh-eating bacteria, I can’t see it being that hard’

There was a collective gasp, and everyone went immediately silent. Cole held back a laugh. Bansha looked genuinely hurt, ‘I can’t shower, you bitch!’ she screeched, ‘I’ll die!’

Nya raised an eyebrow ‘Everyone can tell’ she said slowly, as if she were talking to a child. People were staring at them now. 

Bansha huffed, stomping her foot on the ground, leaning closer to Nya until their faces were inches apart ‘You will pay for this’ she hissed, and turned on her heel, gliding away.

‘Yeah! walk away!’ Nya called after her. She looked at everyone, a smug expression on her face, ‘No need to thank me,’ she said, checking her nails. ‘I showed her.’

Kai was still staring at her, eyes wide. She froze, ‘Why’s everyone looking at me like that? What did I do?’

Lloyd breathed out. ‘Yeah, we’re fucked’ he said. This seemed to shake Kai out of his paralysed state, ‘Nya…’ he began, grabbing her by the shoulders, ‘that was Bansha…’ he began, ‘the Bansha who’s best friends with Ghoultar and Morro.’ he dropped his voice when he said their names. 

Her expression quickly turned from self-satisfaction to horror.

‘Oh shit’

She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. ‘Oh my fucking god,’ she said, ‘why the fuck did no one stop me?’ she shouted hysterically. Jay threw his hands up, ‘I tried!’ he said, ‘you didn’t see me!’ She shot him a murderous glance ‘Maybe she won't tell them,’ She tried to rationalise. ‘She won’t even remember what happened in the morning!’

Cole looked over to where she was currently standing at the edge of the room, phone to her ear and glaring over at them ‘Uhh... I don’t want to alarm anyone,’ he began, ‘but she is currently shouting angrily down the phone.’

Nya looked over and let out a hysterical laugh, ‘We’re all dead,’ she said. Kai vigorously shook his head, grabbing her and motioning to everyone else, ‘C’mon,’ he hissed, ‘follow me, quick.’ Everyone nodded and complied, grabbing all their things. Jay stopped to pick up a bottle of liquor, and Cole looked at him sceptically. He threw his hands in the air, ‘it’s for Zane,’ he said, ‘if he quit cold turkey, he could die, you know’

Kai rounded them all into a random bedroom on the third floor and began to barricade the door shut. ‘Fucking help me!’ he said, and everyone burst into action, pushing the bed against the door. Once they were done, Cole collapsed and sank against the wall.

‘I don’t want to die, I’m too young… and beautiful.’ Jay practically sobbed, and Lloyd dragged his hands down his face, ‘we aren’t going to die,’ he said, ‘we’ll probably just get hospitalised ’

Jay glared at him ‘Thanks for the reassurance, Lloyd’ he yelled. Cole shot him a withering look, ‘Keep your voice down!’ he warned. He scowled and lowered his voice, ‘But I swear I heard that he killed a kid in juvie,’ he whispered, and Lloyd narrowed his eyes, ‘I doubt that,’ he said, ‘can ghosts go to juvie?’

Jay furrowed his brows, ‘Duh? Wouldn’t that be like discrimination if they didn’t let them in?’

Cole rested his head back against the wall ‘Can’t we just call the cops?’ he offered.

Lloyd looked at him like he was crazy, ‘and say what? We’re scared that we might get beat up?’

Cole nodded, ‘Yes?’

Zane appeared to suddenly come back to reality, ‘My calculations say that if Bansha did call Morro immediately, we should have seventeen minutes and fifty-seven seconds until he arrives,’ he said out of the blue. Nya stared at him, incredulous ‘okay, what the fuck?’ she said, still hysterical ‘how does he even know that?’ he turned to Jay in accusation, who just threw his hands in the air. ‘Don’t ask me!’ he exclaimed, ‘but, can I just say, Nya, that you are looking incredibly gorgeous tonight?’ Kai glared at him, ‘NOT THE TIME, JAY’ he shouted. Nya lay down on the bed and curled up in a ball. ‘This is it,’ she whispered, ‘I’ve died and this is hell’

Cole was on the edge of losing his shit, ‘we need a plan’ he said, ‘we can’t just stay in here, we’ll starve!’ he said, and Jay looked him up and down in concern, ‘should I be worried that you’ll eat us all alive?’

Cole snorted, ‘You’re first,’ he said.

Lloyd stood up, motioning for everyone to stop. ‘No one is resorting to cannibalism!’ he said, ‘We can just climb down the balcony.’ Kai shook his head, ‘it’s too far,’ he said, ‘we’ll never make it.’ He paused,

‘I think that we should just give them Jay,’ he proposed sincerely, ‘maybe he can be an offering and then they’ll leave the rest of us alone.’

‘WHAT?’ Jay shouted, ‘why me!?!’ and Kai just shrugged. ‘I am not consenting to this.’ Jay told them all in fear, ‘Plus, I have a better idea - why don’t we play spin the bottle?’ he offered. ‘Nya, want to go first?’

Kai looked like he was about to lunge at him, ‘Shut the fuck up, Jay, no one is playing spin the bottle – how is that even a solution?’

Jay scowled, ‘I don’t see you coming up with better ideas.’ Kai looked at Lloyd pleadingly, ‘Please let me sacrifice him,’ he begged.

‘Six minutes and twenty-three seconds,’ Zane declared, and Nya turned to look at him slowly, borderline hyperventilating.

‘NOT HELPING, ZANE’ Cole shouted, finally having had enough of the ominous countdown from the corner. Nya finally sat up, ‘I think our best option is to just stay locked in here and hope no one finds us,’ she proposed, and Jay nodded, ‘I agree,’ he said, ‘and to pass the time, we can play spin the bottle – Nya?’

Nya groaned, ‘absolutely not’

Kai’s eye twitched, ‘Jay, there is one girl in this room and she is my sister – does it look like I want to play fucking SPIN THE BOTTLE?’

Jay shrugged, ‘You could put a wig on Zane, and then there would be two.’

Kai took a deep breath, ‘You know what, I’m not even going to do this with you – I’m above this’

‘Two minutes and twenty seconds’

‘ZANE.’

Bang. Bang. Bang,

Cole looked up, startled ‘What the hell?’ he asked, the adrenaline starting to course through him, ‘What’s that noise?’ he whispered.

Nya looked on the verge of tears, ‘it’s happening,’ she said, looking white as a ghost. Ironic. ‘They’re here,’

Kai looked at him, searching for reassurance. Cole could tell that he was genuinely freaked out. He shuffled closer to him, and they heard raised voices from below. Jay had his hands clasped over his mouth, and Lloyd was pacing back and forth across the room, muttering under his breath. ‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck’

There was a loud bang, and Nya winced. Jay shuffled over to her, putting an arm around her neck. She buried her head in his arms, ‘They won’t get to you, I won’t let them,’ he whispered, and she pressed her lips together, saying nothing. ‘Vodka?’ he offered, handing her the bottle. She nodded with a sniff, ‘Thanks, Jay.’

Cole stifled a laugh before catching Kai’s eye, who was sitting on the floor next to him. He felt a weird surge of emotion. They could hear loud footsteps coming up the stairs, directly towards them. Cole took a breath in, grabbing his hand and holding it tight, just out of sight of the others. To his surprise, Kai didn’t protest. He slowly intertwined their fingers, avoiding his eye.

‘If it’s him, Kai and I will deal with it,’ Cole said, ‘we’re obviously the strongest.’

‘Zane is like ten times stronger than both of you put together,’ Jay argued, still stroking Nya’s hair.

Cole rolled his eyes, ‘Okay, Kai, Zane, and I will deal with it,’ he said, ‘happy?’

The door handle rattled, and Cole’s breath hitched. Kai’s fingers were digging into his hand so hard he his knuckles were white.

‘Hellooo???’ came the voice from outside ‘let me the fuck in right now’

Everyone breathed a visible sigh of relief, and the tension in the atmosphere plummeted ‘Harumi?’ Nya asked. ‘Duh?’ came the voice from outside, ‘LET ME IN’

Nya raced up to the door, pushing some of the furniture out of the way to open it a crack. Harumi looked an absolute mess, ‘what the hell are you doing in here!?’ she asked, ‘never mind, I don’t even care about your group orgy - look you all gotta get out right now!’ She yelled at them ‘my parents came back early and they are freaking out’

Nya looked at her incredulously, ‘so… You haven’t seen Morro or Ghoultar?’ she asked cautiously, and Harumi pulled a face, ‘no?’ she said in confusion, ‘why would they be here?’ Nya laughed intensely, ‘No reason!’ she said, ‘we’ll be out in a second!’

She slammed the door, ‘holy fuck’ she said, ‘we might actually survive the night’

Zane looked at them in confusion, ‘but we still have one minute and-’ Jay motioned for him to stop, ‘zip it’

Nya looked down at her brother, ‘help me get all this shit out the way,’ she said, and Kai quickly let go of Cole’s hand, getting up to move the bed out of the way. Cole’s heart was racing, and he couldn’t tell what the cause was.

They hurried down the stairs, and Cole grabbed Harumi’s shoulder, ‘Do you know where Vania is?’ he asked desperately. She shrugged, ‘I don’t know, with Skylor?’ he nodded, ‘Thanks.’ He had to get out of there, he just hoped she was alright – but he trusted Skylor to make sure she was safe

All six of them ran out onto the dark lawn, ‘Quick!’ Nya called, ‘This way.’ They stumbled over to Kai’s car and piled in. ‘Wait, who’s driving?’ Kai asked, ‘I’m definitely not sober enough,’ he added, panicked.

‘IS ANYONE SOBER?’ Jay shouted. The car fell silent.

Zane rolled his eyes, ‘I’ll drive,’ he said, getting out and swinging into the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel tightly.

‘Thanks, man,’ Jay said with a sheepish grin.

‘It's probably easier if we all just go back to mine and sleep over,’ Cole said, ‘if that’s okay with everyone?’

There was a murmur of agreement, and Cole started to give Zane his address, but he waved him off.

‘I know it,’ he said, reversing out of the driveway.

Cole stared at him in shock ‘What… how!?’

Nya put her face in her hands ‘Am I just drunk, or is this guy like… not normal?’

‘You’re just drunk,’ Jay said quickly, ‘drive, Zane, now!’

***

Cole flicked the light switch on, ‘Okay, Nya gets her own room, but the rest of us are gonna have to share,’ he said, setting his things down on the table, and checking his phone to see if Vania had texted him back.

'Jay, Zane and I can go in the back room,’ Lloyd offered, and Cole agreed, ‘I’ve got spare clothes if anyone needs any.’ They all thanked him and eventually dispersed into their different rooms.

Cole walked up to Kai, who was far from sobering up, unlike the others. ‘Hey, you coming to bed?’ he asked, and Kai nodded, staggering forward and almost falling over, Cole grabbed him with a laugh, ‘C’mon, lean on me’

He grinned, grabbing onto him whilst Cole put an arm around his shoulders to make sure he wouldn’t trip over ‘you’re so good to me’ he teased, pulling him closer. Cole put a hand on the wall behind him to steady them ‘Whoa,’ he said ‘Be careful, we don’t want to end up on the floor.’ Kai raised an eyebrow ‘Would that be so bad?’ he said, clearly trying to provoke him. Cole felt his face heat up, ‘Get in bed, I’ll get you a glass of water.’ He hated how easily Kai could fluster him. Son of a bitch.

‘Here, here said, putting the water on the table beside the bed. ‘Thanks,’ Kai said with a lazy smile.

‘Please don’t go,’ he asked, grabbing Cole’s arm as he started to turn away ‘I don’t want to be alone,’ he pleaded. Cole rolled his eyes, ‘I’m in the same room as you, asshole,’ he said ‘let me go to bed,’

Kai sat up, ‘come here,’ he said, and Cole’s breath hitched, ‘I’m not going to sleep in your bed, if that’s what you’re asking’ he replied, ‘you’re fine.’

Kai hiccupped, leaning back, ‘Skylor would never treat me like you do,’ he said, and Cole sighed exasperatedly, letting Kai drag him in even closer.

‘Sometimes I wish you were a girl,’ he said, his tone light and playful, but the words hit him like a hammer to his chest. ‘I’d definitely choose you over her,’ he continued, reaching out to touch Cole’s cheek.

Cole breathed out, ‘Don’t say things like that, Kai,’ he warned, and Kai laughed, ‘You’re so serious sometimes,’ he said, ‘lighten up,’ he added, pushing his shoulder. 

‘I don’t know why Bansha was acting like Vania’s out of your league,’ he continued. ‘l think you're way hotter than her,’ he added with a mischievous grin.

'You're drunk,' Cole stated tiredly, ‘I’m going to bed now.’ 

Kai shook his head, 'I'm serious, Cole,' he said, leaning closer to him so that their foreheads were almost touching, I-' he stopped himself. Cole moved his head down, avoiding his gaze. 'Please,' he whispered, 'get some sleep.'

Kai lowered his voice, clearly not listening to him ‘Can I tell you something?’ he asked, and Cole remained silent, gently guiding him away by his shoulders and handing him the blanket.

‘... The reason Skylor and I are casual is because she doesn’t want to commit to me’ he confessed.

‘Everyone always assumes it's cause I’m a jerk that wants to fuck other girls, but she’s the one that wants us to be casual or whatever… trust me, I’ve tried to get her to be my actual girlfriend’ he said.

‘That’s what we fought about today.’ He admitted, ‘I asked her to be my actual girlfriend again, and she got pissed at me – I don’t even get what her fucking problem is’

Cole sighed, ‘I don’t know what you want me to say, Kai,’ he said wearily, ‘I’m sorry?’

Kai laughed again, ‘I still like her though,’ he persisted, ‘she’s so beautiful and smart… and funny, and I do still want to be with her,’ he rambled, ‘I just don’t know I can get her to forgive me after what I said.’

Cole felt a pain in his chest, and he stood up quickly, turning in the direction of the door. ‘Whatever, Kai, I’m sure she will – just go to sleep, please,’ he begged, anything to get him to stop talking.

Kai turned over to face the wall, ‘I hope she will,’ he said, his words still slurred.

Cole sighed, switching off the light. He walked outside, his heart racing far too much to try to go to sleep yet. He looked down to see a missed call from Vania. Fuck. He called back, and she picked up on the first ring.

‘Oh my god’ came her voice from the other line ‘That was a complete shit show’

Cole laughed, just happy to hear her voice, ‘Tell me about it,’ he replied, ‘we are in urgent need of a catch-up’

She breathed out, ‘uh huh’ she agreed, ‘I’m staying at Skylor’s by the way, so I’m safe, don’t worry’ added, in response to his earlier text.

He smiled, ‘okay, good to know you aren’t just lost somewhere in Harumi’s massive ass house’ he said, ‘do you know what the hell actually happened with her and her parents?’ he added. ‘yeah, it was insane' Vania replied, ‘they stormed in and started kicking everyone out, and Harumi was freaking out when they saw how trashed the house was, so she’s basically just in deep shit’ she summarised.

‘No fucking way,’ Cole said, ‘we were all locked in a room because Nya threatened to beat up Morro’s best friend, and we all thought we were going to die,’ he explained. 'Otherwise i would've come and helped with the clean up'

‘Okay, slow down,’ she said, ‘who’s Morro and why are you all so scared of him?’ she asked. Cole sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose ‘I’ll explain this all tomorrow,’ he told her ‘You have to come over straight away’

‘Of course,’ she agreed, ‘alright, see you in the morning, Cole, I gotta get some sleep,’ she added with a yawn, ‘see you later,’ he said, hanging up with a smile. He turned around to go back to bed, almost walking straight into Nya and Jay. ‘Jeez!’ he exclaimed in surprise, before pausing to look them both up and down, ‘are you… Sneaking him into your room?’ he asked Nya in bewilderment. She glared at him, ‘not a single word,’ she warned, her voice low, before pointing an accusatory finger at him, grabbing Jay by the strings of his hoodie, and dragging him into the room behind her. He gave Cole a triumphant grin as she slammed the door. Today could not get any weirder.

He finally went to bed, deciding to leave the lights on in case anyone needed anything. He creaked open the door, pausing for a moment to look at Kai sleeping peacefully. He looked almost ethereal, drenched in the glowing light of the kitchen, and Cole felt a pull at his heart again. He climbed into a bed, but as it was a shoddy convertible bed reserved for when they used to have guests, half his legs hung off the end. He sighed, realising he’s sacrificed his bed to whatever the hell was going on with Nya and Jay currently. He shuddered at the thought.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, his head still spinning. The silence felt almost oppressive. He turned in the sheets, trying to block out the thoughts that were stopping sleep from coming, but he couldn’t fight them. It felt like flames were dancing across his skin, alive, humming.

Fuck. 

Chapter Text

Skylor opened the balcony door, and the cool air of the night washed over Vania. She let out an unconscious exhale, looking out over the blinking lights of the city. She rested her elbow on the cold stone of the railing, the feeling of the smooth marble under her fingertips making her feel slightly more real. Skylor joined her, tilting her head to look at her, the light breeze gently tugging at her hair, making it flow out behind her like a wave of crimson. Her amber eyes were glinting in the moonlight, and goosebumps raised over Vania’s skin.

The prolonged silence between them was cut by Skylor’s gentle sigh, ‘I don’t know what to do,’ she whispered, ‘do you think that was a breakup?’

Vania looked at her in contemplation, noticing how her caramel skin glowed under the light, making her features look statuesque ‘I don’t know’ she admitted, ‘he did seem pretty pissed’

Skylor laughed softly, ‘yeah’ she said, ‘he can be quite a hot-head sometimes’. Vania furrowed her brows, ‘It depends what you want,’ she said, ‘if you still want to be with him, you should be.’

Skylor turned around, leaning back against the ledge, meeting her eyes, ‘I don’t think it’s that simple,’ she said, ‘I…’ she trailed off, ‘I do still like him,’

Vania nodded, ‘then you should talk to him,’ she said, trying to hold back, ‘you might be able to work things out’, and Skylor closed her eyes, 'it’s not going to work out’ she stated finally, ‘he wants things from me that I’m... not ready to give him’

Vania looked at her in concern. ‘Skylor, If he’s pressuring you to do things you don’t want to-’ Skylor waved her off, ‘it’s not like that,’ she said dismissively, before pausing. ‘You know how Rumi always goes on about us being casual?’ she asked, and Vania nodded in confusion.

‘It’s not him that wants that... It’s me – I lied,’ she said, turning her head away.

Vania could feel the absence of her gaze. ‘What?’ she questioned, ‘why would you lie about something like that?’ Skylor shrugged, ‘I guess it’s more normal if the guy is the one with commitment issues,’ she said with a soft chuckle, ‘I didn’t want people to think I was weird.’

Vania shook her head, ‘you’re definitely not weird,’ she reassured her, ‘if you aren’t ready for a relationship, you don’t have to be’ she told her.

Skylor nodded, her smile softening as she said, ‘I don’t know, I just feel like something's missing,’ then tilted her head thoughtfully, but… I do like him a lot,’ she said, ‘Plus, he’s not bad to look at either,’ she added with a playful smirk. Vania chuckled, ‘well, maybe you should just explain this to him’ she said. Skylor shook her head, ‘trust me, I’ve tried’ she told her, ‘I mean, it’s not like I’m actually seeing other people or anything’ she admitted, ‘it’s just that the whole exclusive thing feels intimidating’

 Vania nodded, ‘I get it, if you want different things, maybe it is best to just end things.’ Skylor paused, ‘You’re right,’ she said, ‘I’m not really in the right headspace for any of this, our fights are getting worse, and I just don’t think he’s the right guy for me.’ She looked down. ‘We seem to bring out the worst in each other.’

Vania took her hand, ‘I’m here for you, Sky’ she told her, ‘I think you’re making the right decision’ Skylor nodded, ‘sorry for laying all this on you,’ she said, turning and wrapping her arms around her, ‘you’re an amazing friend, I’m so glad we met each other’ Vania giggled, ‘the other week’ she replied, making Skylor laugh, ‘yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever made a friend this quickly – it must be fate’ she told her, and Vania blushed, ‘must be’ she agreed lamely. Skylor’s hair smelled sweet like strawberries, and Vania could feel her light fingertips softly trace her back, almost making her shiver.

Skylor finally pulled away, wiping her eyes, ‘C’mon, let’s go and dance’ she said, and Vania murmured in agreement, too dazed for any coherent reply. She felt warm inside, hopefully due to more than Harumi’s homemade martinis. She couldn’t help but think back to how terrified she’d been to go to school, and she felt a little emotional from the unexpectedly welcoming nature of everyone around. She already felt so much love for her friends, which was insane. She barely knew these people.

There was something about being friends with someone like Skylor that gave her butterflies; she couldn’t believe someone as perfect as her would even want to hang around someone like Vania for anything other than her name and status.

‘You want another drink?’ Skylor asked once they had opened the door into the lounge, and Vania shook her head, ‘I’m good, I think I’m done for today,’ she said with a laugh, as she scanned the crowd to see if she could see Cole, but it was no use. He seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

‘Where’s Rumi?’ Skylor asked once they were enveloped in the crowd of people, the speakers feeling as though they were drumming a rhythm directly into Vania’s veins, ‘she’s sleeping,’ she told her, ‘Cole and I helped her get to bed, she was not in a good state – she got like sad drunk’

Skylor looked over in concern, ‘Really? Damn, I didn’t realise she was that far gone,’ she said, raising her voice over the noise, ‘we’ll go find her later.’ Vania nodded in agreement, ‘Hopefully she’ll have sobered up a little after her nap.’

They danced together for a while, and Skylor took Vania’s hands as excitedly she jumped, making her laugh as she watched her hair whip around her face. After a while, the room seemed to become a blur of faces and colour, and Vania felt herself getting lightheaded, the sound still reverberating through her. The effects of the alcohol from earlier were making her head swim ‘I’m gonna go and get another drink,’ Skylor told her suddenly, ‘I’ll be right back’ she reassured, not waiting for a response and dropping her hands, beginning to weave into the crowd.

Vania waited for her to get back, feeling a little self-conscious now she was alone. She began to relax after a while, but Skylor was still gone. She tilted her head, trying to see where she was, but all she could see was a sea of unrecognisable heads.

Vania jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, but felt relief wash over her when she saw it was just Skylor handing her a plastic cup, ‘yours is just water,’ she reassured. Vania smiled, ‘Thanks, Sky, ’ she said, before pausing,

‘Are you going to talk to Kai at some point?’ she asked, and Skylor shook her head. ‘Don’t worry about that right now,’ she said, flashing a grin and pulling her in closer, ‘I don’t want to think about him.’

Vania nodded, ‘o-okay’ she stammered, feeling the blush creep up her neck. Skylor laughed, ‘you’re the cutest,’ she said, her words beginning to slur, ‘…wanna stay here or go somewhere else? I’m starting to get bored.'

Vania shrugged, her heart still racing, ‘We could go find Rumi?’ Skylor sighed, ‘yeah, I guess we probably should,’ she said, ‘let's…’ she trailed off.

Vania looked at her in concern, ‘You okay?’ she asked, and Skylor remained silent, her face pale. ‘I’ve got to go,’ she declared bluntly after a while, ‘I don’t feel well.’ her words came out strained. Vania squeezed her hand, ‘I can come with you?’ she offered, and Skylor shook her head, ‘No, it’s okay,’ she rushed out, before turning away once again, and hurrying away from her. Vania stared after her, dumbfounded. She felt an unwelcome panic crawl up her spine; she was completely alone now.

She began to run through her limited options in her head. The crowd felt like it was closing in on her. She could go and wake up Harumi, but she felt something stopping her.

Maybe she should just find somewhere quiet and wait it out?

She spun around, scanning the crowd to make sure Cole wasn’t just hiding somewhere, but she was sure she would be able to see his head above the crowd.

In her state of anxiety, she almost collided straight into Tox, who was making her way over to the drinks table,

‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry,’ she rushed out. Tox flashed her a smile, grabbing her shoulder to steady her, ‘Hey, it’s okay – don’t worry about it,’ she reassured, before looking around, ‘… are you waiting for someone?’ she asked.

Vania paused, ‘I’m gonna be honest, I’m kinda lost,’ she admitted, ‘I think Skylor’s sick, I have no idea where she went’

Tox gave her a sympathetic look, ‘You can come with me if you want,’ she offered, ‘Chamille and I are just hanging out on the couch like the antisocial losers we are,’ she added jokingly.

Vania laughed gratefully, ‘You’re my saviour.’ Tox laughed, linking arms with her, ‘I’ve just gotta get Chamille her fifth Vodka Coke of the night,’ she explained with an eye roll, and Vania snorted with amusement.

‘Hey, Vania,’ Chamille greeted her once they made it to the other side of the room, ‘how are you doing?’ Vania smiled at her, nestling down on the couch. It was much more secluded, and she felt the feeling of panic gradually slip away as she let out a relieved exhale.

‘I’m good, thank you,’ she replied, jolting as Tox flopped down beside Chamille, slinging an arm around her. She pushed her, ‘Ugh, you’re so annoying,’ she said, fixing her rumpled dress. Tox grinned, ‘You don’t want the drink then? Cause I can take it back…’

Chamille rolled her eyes, snatching it off her, ‘whatever’ she muttered. Tox nudged Vania, ‘she’s a mean drunk,’ she explained, and Chamille glared at her, ‘I am not,’ she protested, ‘you’re just an annoying drunk.’ Tox gasped, ‘Ouch?’ she said, ‘I’m not even that drunk.’

Chamille bit back a laugh, ‘hmm’ she replied, as before turning to Vania, ‘So, how’s being the new girl working out for you?’ she asked her, relenting and sinking back into Tox’s arms.

She shrugged, ‘Honestly, pretty good so far,’ she told her, ‘everything is still kinda surreal,’ she added. Tox nodded, ‘I can’t imagine,’ she said, ‘being a princess and still having to go to school must suck.’ Vania laughed, ‘That’s one way of looking at it.’

Chamille smiled, ‘Well, if you ever need help with anything, I’m here for you,’ she said, before motioning to Tox, ‘Her too, but I can’t say she’ll be as helpful.’ Tox pulled a face, ‘hey!’ she protested. Vania laughed, ‘Thanks, guys.’

They continued chatting casually for a little while longer, and Vania felt more at ease than she had the whole evening. Despite their bickering, Vania could sense that they had a strong bond, which made her feel comforted.

Chamille’s eyes suddenly widened, and she turned to look at Tox, ‘Did you tell Elena to come?’ she asked urgently. Tox shrugged, ‘I think so,’ she said, ‘why, is that a problem?’

Chamille put her face in her hands, ‘Babe, I told you never to invite her to parties.’

Tox laughed, ‘relax,’ she said casually, ‘she probably won’t even show up.’ Chamille raised an eyebrow, ‘Care to explain why I just got a text from her saying ‘see you in ten minutes?’ she demanded. Tox froze, ‘Really?’ she asked.

Vania looked between them, ‘Who’s Elena?’ she questioned in confusion. Chamille paused, ‘Right, I forget that you’re new,’ she said, ‘she doesn’t go to school with us, she’s…’ she trailed off, and Tox cut in, ‘-she’s a total wild card,’ she explained, ‘we used to have this longstanding feud with Highridge academy, and she’s the one who caused the whole thing’ 

Vania nodded, ‘right… Highridge, Cole said he’s playing them in the championships soon,’ she said, ‘so, does she go there?’ she added.

Chamille nodded, ‘The idiot hockey players have some weird thing about associating with the Highridge students, even though the feud is basically over,’ she explained, ‘but Elena and I have been friends since we were kids, so there’s no way I’m letting them tell me what to do.’

Tox clutched her chest, ‘Idiot hockey players?!’ she exclaimed, fighting a grin. Chamille rolled her eyes, ‘You know what I mean, asshole,’ she said with a sigh.

Vania giggled, ‘So, what did she do to start the feud?’ she asked, changing the subject back.

‘What didn’t she do?’ Tox said in amusement, and Chamille laughed sheepishly, brushing her purple bangs away from her eyes. ‘Once she vandalised all the teacher cars,’ she told her, ‘Then she egged the entire school - with help of course’ she continued, 'then she-' Tox laughed, cutting in ‘I think she gets the picture’ she said, ‘It’s going to be nothing but a headache if she shows her face here’

Chamille groaned, ‘I can’t believe I have to stop partying to go and deal with this,’ she said, standing up and handing Tox her cup. ‘You guys wanna come, or am I doing this myself?’

Vania looked to Tox for help, who shrugged, ‘You wanna come, Vania? I can stay here with you if not, Chamille is already an expert at handling Elena,’ she said, and Vania shook her head, ‘it’s fine’ she said, laughing nervously, ‘I could do with some fresh air anyway!’

Harumi’s front yard seemed like it stretched on for miles in the darkness, all polished stone and a perfectly manicured lawn. The three of them perched on the wall next to the garage, and Tox lit up a cigarette. ‘Want one?’ she offered to Vania, who shook her head, ‘No, thank you,’ she declined, ‘I don’t smoke.’

Tox nodded, handing it to Chamille instead, who took it and sighed, ‘This party is dull as hell,’ she complained, leaning back. Tox shrugged, ‘it’s not so bad,’ she said, ‘Harumi clearly put in a whole lotta effort.’

Chamille snorted, ‘Yeah, putting in this much effort just to hook up with one of the hockey boys is insanity,’ she said, and Tox snorted with laughter. ‘You can say that again’

Vania ran her fingers through her messed-up hair, ‘Well, I can’t say that’s gonna happen for her tonight, since she’s upstairs passed out right now,’ she told them.

Chamille put a hand over her mouth, ‘Oh shit,’ she said, ‘is she okay?’ and Vania nodded, ‘yeah, just had way too much to drink too quickly- on an empty stomach too,’ she explained, shaking her head. Chamille nodded, ‘happens to the best of us,’ she said in amusement.

Vania wrung her hands in anticipation, looking around, ‘When did she say she was gonna get here?’ she asked.

‘So... what's the deal with you and Cole?’ Chamille prodded, completely ignoring her question. Tox let out a wry laugh, ‘she’s been dying to ask you about him the whole time,’ she said, ‘I’m shocked she’s managed to wait this long.’

Chamille elbowed her with a furious glare. ‘I have not,’ she said defensively. 'Don't listen to her.' Vania froze; she had been dreading this question all evening. ‘Uhh’ she stalled, ‘…we’re good’

Tox looked at her in amusement, ‘Vania, you know you don’t have to do this with us, right?’ she said, ‘you can cut the crap, we know.’

Vania let out an awkward laugh, ‘What?’ she said, quickly deciding to play dumb. She could feel the anxiety rush through her; there was no way they were talking about what her mind immediately leapt to.

Chamille giggled, ‘That Cole’s... you know’ she began, tilting her head to one side, ‘He... plays for the other team.’ Tox raised an eyebrow, ‘That was the stupidest way you could’ve worded that,’ she deadpanned.

Vania let out another nervous laugh, ‘Um, Cole plays on our school's hockey team as far as I know,’ she said, her voice sounding high and slightly hysterical.

Chamille snorted, ‘No, I mean that he’s gay,’ she whispered, her words slurred. Vania was really starting to freak out now. How the hell would she know that? Did Cole tell them and not mention it to her?

‘Huh?’ she questioned, ‘where’d you get that idea from?’ she added, desperately trying to remain casual. Tox looked at her in confusion.

‘Wait… you seriously don’t know?’ she asked, and Vania remained frozen, feeling completely overwhelmed.

Tox grabbed Chamille’s arm, ‘wait- shit, did you just out him?’ she said. Chamille looked at Vania in panic, ‘I thought you knew!’ she said, turning back to Tox frantically, ‘fuck, I did not mean to say that, I assumed she knew!’

Tox dragged her hands down her face, ‘Okay, Vania, she didn’t know what she was talking about, she’s really drunk, okay?’ She attempted to reassure her, putting her hands on her shoulders. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

She turned back to Chamille, ‘What the actual fuck, why did you think that was an okay thing to say to her?’ she said in a whisper, and Chamille stared at her, ‘me? You were going along with it too, you traitor!’ she exclaimed, before shaking her head, ‘I’m fucked if she tells him, he’s probably going to kill me’

Vania put her head in her hands. Her head hurt. If they already knew in the first place, maybe it would be okay to just come clean? It was obviously causing more harm to lie to them.

‘Okay, will you stop arguing!’ she demanded, and they spun around to look at her. ‘What?’ Chamille asked, her voice high and unsteady.

She sighed, ‘I… do know,’ she confessed, looking between them anxiously, ‘but you literally cannot tell a single soul, okay?’ she warned, ‘seriously’

Chamille paused before breaking out into relieved laughter, ‘Are you fucking with me?’ she said, ‘my whole life just flashed before my eyes.’ Tox wiped a hand across her brow, ‘You had me worried, there,’ she said.

Vania exhaled, ‘I’m sorry for lying,’ she said, ‘I can’t just go around telling people this type of thing,’ she said, ‘you understand, right?’

Tox exhaled, ‘Of course,’ she said, ‘we definitely wouldn’t have approached it like this normally, we’ve just had too much to drink.’

Vania let out a small laugh, nodding, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she said, resting her chin on her hand. ‘How did you guys even figure it out in the first place?’ she asked, looking between them.

Tox laughed, ‘Please, I’ve known Cole since middle school, trust me it’s obvious once you get to know him’ she said, Chamille raised an eyebrow, ‘Plus, we have a pretty good eye for these things,’ she said, and Vania looked at her in perplexation, ‘what do you mean?’

Chamille sighed, looking to Tox for confirmation, who shrugged. She grabbed Tox’s hands, ‘Vania, Tox and I are, uh… more than friends,’ she said slowly.

Vania furrowed her brow, ‘What? Like… best friends?’ she asked, feeling entirely lost.

Chamille pressed her lips together, ‘Oh, Jesus Christ,’ she complained, rolling her eyes. She pushed off the wall and circled back around, tugging Tox in for a kiss by the lapels of her jacket.

Vania’s eyes widened in realisation, ‘Oh,’ she breathed.

Tox tucked a strand of Chamille’s vibrant hair behind her ear, before pulling away with a laugh, ‘get it now?’ she asked in amusement, and Vania nodded, trying to hide her shock. ‘Yep!’ she squeaked. ‘I guess that… does make a lot of sense,’

Tox laughed again, putting an arm around Chamille’s shoulders, ‘so what is the deal with you and Cole?’ she asked, ‘I assume it’s fair to ask since you gave us a heart attack?’

Vania smiled sheepishly, ‘Well… I guess we’re just telling people we’re a couple, so people leave him alone for now’ she explained.

Chamille pointed a finger, ‘so like… are you his beard or is this some kind of lavender relationship?’ she asked in confusion.

Vania stared at her, ‘I literally don’t know what any of that means’ she confessed.

Beside her, Tox snorted, ‘She means are you also… You know,’ she said.

Vania continued to stare at them, ‘Am I what?’ she asked.

Chamille put her head in her hands, ‘she’s asking if you’re also gay,’ she said bluntly, and Vania felt her blood run cold, ‘m-me?’ she stammered, ‘I…’ she trailed off, finding herself completely speechless. Chamille looked at her in confusion, ‘I didn’t mean to-’

A black car jerking into the driveway cut her off mid-sentence, and Vania watched it park diagonally across the pathway, grateful for any distraction from that conversation.

‘Hey girls!’ came the voice of the person climbing out of the driver’s side. Chamille spun around, ‘El!’ she greeted with a grin.

Vania had to force her jaw not to drop open. The girl walking towards them had messy dark brown hair tied up in a high ponytail, black eyeshadow smeared across her eyelids, and startlingly blue eyes. She was wearing a beat-up black leather jacket, faded jeans, and fishnet tights covered in holes, accompanied by heavyset black boots. She possessed a unique type of beauty that Vania had never come across before, and it made her feel slightly lightheaded.

She approached them, a wicked smile on her face. Chamille hugged her, ‘What’s up with you?’ she asked, and Elena broke away from the hug, ‘not much,’ she said airily, ‘I brought alcohol, though,’ she added. Tox looked at Chamille warningly, ‘absolutely not,’ she said, and Chamille sighed, ‘El, I love you – but you cannot come inside,’ she said.

Elena looked at her in protest, ‘what?!’ she exclaimed ‘I came all the way here!’ before looking Vania up and down, ‘hey, I know you!’ she said, changing the subject, much to Chamille’s exasperation. ‘you’re the princess of… wherever the fuck, I can’t remember… also don’t care’

Vania wrinkled her nose, ‘excuse me?’ she said, her tone irritated. Chamille groaned, ‘C’mon, Elena, just go,’ she said, grabbing her arm.

‘C’mon!’ Elena said, ‘can’t we just hang out?’ she said, clearly attempting to persuade her. Chamille wasn’t budging, ‘go. Now.’ She said, ‘I told you not to come to FSM High parties, and you never listen to me.’

Elena pouted, ‘you’re no fun,’ she said, before turning to Vania, ‘you wanna hang out with me, princess?’ she asked, ‘give these two some privacy,’ she added with a playful wink.

Vania scoffed, ‘In your dreams,’ she said, and Elena grinned, ‘Suit yourself,’ she said, leaning back against the wall. There was a moment of silence, and Chamille looked at her warningly,

‘She’s the one with the fake boyfriend, right?’ she whispered loudly, hand covering her mouth.

Tox threw her hand in the air, ‘What the hell, Elena?’ she asked in exasperation. Vania stared at her, ‘What the fuck?’ she asked in disbelief, ‘Why does everyone know?’

Chamille looked at her pleadingly, ‘We only spoke about it with her once, I swear,’ he told her, before gritting her teeth and kicking Elena in the shin, ‘and she swore she wouldn’t tell anyone’

Elena giggled, ‘I can’t promise anything,’ she said, ‘Maybe someone should stay here with me to make sure I don’t go spreading any rumours,’ she added mischievously, and Chamille shot her a furious glare.

Vania narrowed her eyes, ‘Are you actually threatening me right now?’ she asked, her voice low.

Elena was fixated on her now, a crooked grin on her face, ‘Maybe I just wanna spend time with you, princess?’

Vania groaned, pulling her gaze away ‘….Whatever, fine,’ she finally relented, ‘but only for a little while, I have to go and find my friend and make sure she’s still breathing,’ she added.

Chamille gently touched her shoulder, ‘hey, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,’ she said, ‘don’t let her bullshit her way into getting what she wants,’ she said.

Elena gasped beside her, ‘I would never,’ she said, placing a hand on her hip and gesturing towards Tox and Chamille, ‘you two can go now.’

Tox looked between them, ‘You sure?’ she asked Vania, who nodded, ‘I’m sure’ she said with a smile, ‘I didn’t wanna go back inside right now anyway, you two go have fun’

***

Elena grinned, ‘So I take it this is your first house party?’ she asked. They were sitting on the steps outside the front entrance, Elena’s legs sprawled out next to her.

Vania scowled, ‘You’re rude,’ she said, and Elena leant back on her elbows. ‘Oh, really?’ she asked, a smirk never leaving her face. ‘You just seem stressed out, is all’

Vania hugged her arms, ‘I’m fine,’ she said, the annoyance in her tone clear. Elena sighed, ‘Look, I’m sorry for saying that stuff, it was just a lame joke,’ she said, ‘I’m not gonna tell anyone shit.’ Vania met her gaze, keeping her expression blank, and Elena laughed dryly, ‘Trust me, I know what being outed is like, I would never do that to your friend,’ she said.

Vania nodded, ‘Thank you for apologising,’ she said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ‘So, what happened?’

Elena flicked her eyes over her, ‘You’re nosy,’ she told her. Vania gasped, ‘I am not,’ she complained, ‘why does everyone say that?’

Elena laughed, ‘relax, I’m kidding’ she said, before pausing ‘if you must know, I had a… complicated relationship with my best friend’ she explained, ‘we kissed once at a party, and then she decided to tell everyone I pressured her into it and make it out like I was some evil predatory weirdo’ she said, with an eye roll. ‘Considering she was the one who initiated it, it seems like she was just out to get me,’ she added.

Vania looked up at her, ‘Jeez,’ she said, pausing for a second, ‘what a bitch.’

Elena snorted with laughter, ‘You know,’ she said after a silence, ‘you’re… not what I expected you to be like.’

Vania scrunched her nose up, ‘and what was that?’ she asked. Elena shrugged, ‘I don’t know, more…’ she trailed off, and Vania rolled her eyes, ‘princess-like?’ she asked, ‘because, trust me, I can be if I want to be’

Elena shook her head, ‘I think less judgmental was the word I was looking for,’ she said, and Vania raised an eyebrow, ‘how so?’ Elena laughed, ‘I guess the long blonde hair, perfect makeup, and dress that looks like it costs more than my house threw me off,’ she said.

Vania scoffed, ‘What happened to not judging a book by its cover?’ she asked, irritated.

Elena shrugged again, ‘I know, I know,’ she said, ‘I think I’m just used to girls like you treating me like garbage,’ she admitted, and Vania huffed, ‘Well, you obviously don’t know me at all, then,’ she said, looking away.

Elena lit a cigarette, ‘true’ she said, ‘I’d like to, though’ she told her. Vania hid her smile, resting her head on her knees.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the excited shouts from inside. The lights from the lounge were reflected onto the wall, creating a mural of colour dancing in front of them.

Vania looked over once more, contemplating her words. ‘I’ve been lectured about this before and I know it’s a dumb question, but how did you know you were…’ she lowered her voice. ‘Lesbian?’ Elena snorted, ‘it’s not a dirty word’ she added, ‘and it’s not a dumb question, figuring out your sexuality can be hard’

Vania froze, ‘I’m not-’ and Elena sighed, ‘yeah, yeah, keep your hair on - I’m not talking about you specifically’ she said, ‘....it was definitely complicated, I really thought I liked guys for a while, but something was always not quite right’

Vania nodded, remaining silent. ‘I guess I decided to stop lying to myself after a while, but it sucks when you’re so conditioned into thinking you have to date guys or else there's something wrong with you, ’ she continued. ‘That seems hard,’ Vania mustered a reply, feeling slightly unsettled.

‘People can be persistent,’ Elena chuckled, ‘but enough about me, what’s up with you?’ she asked, quickly changing the subject. ‘What’s it actually like being a princess?’

Vania opened her mouth to reply, but her phone ringing made her jump in surprise. ‘One second,’ she said, and Elena nodded, taking another drag of her cigarette.

‘Hey, Sky,’ Vania said, the relief evident in her voice, ‘You okay?’ Skylor’s frantic voice came through the other side of the line, ‘Where are you?’ she asked urgently, ‘I’m really sick, I could kinda use your help,’ she added.

Vania furrowed her eyebrows in concern, ‘Tell me where you are, I’ll come find you,’ she said, keeping her voice steady.

After working out Skylor’s location and ending the call, she looked at Elena, ‘you coming with me?’ she asked, ‘I’ve got to go find my friend’ she shook her head, standing up and tapping the ash off her cigarette, ‘I’m gonna head back’ she said coolly, a smirk on her face, ‘It’s been nice hanging out with you though, princess’

'Okay,' Vania replied, biting her lip to keep from smiling, ‘Same to you,’ she added, and Elena began to back away, grin still on her face, ‘see you around?’ Vania nodded with a coy smile, ‘sure’

She glanced back one more time to watch her climb into the driver’s seat of her car and began to reverse out of the driveway. She shook her head and hurried through the door, her heels clacking loudly against the marble floor.

That was probably one of the strangest interactions she’d ever had, but she couldn’t help but smile to herself once more.

‘You’re gonna be fine,’ Vania said wearily, using her other hand to brush Skylor’s hair away from her face as she propped herself up against the toilet seat. Skylor scrunched her eyes shut, ‘I think I’m dying,’ she replied, and Vania sighed, ‘You aren’t dying,’ she said, ‘you just had too much to drink, you’ll be okay in a few hours’

Skylor said nothing, and Vania swept more of her hair into her hands. ‘Are you gonna throw up again?’ she asked gently, and she shook her head. ‘I don’t think so,’ she replied, her voice scratchy, flattening her skirt with her hands.

Vania nodded, ‘You should probably lie down,’ she told her, ‘I can stay with you if you want.’ Skylor nodded gratefully, ‘Thank you, Vania, ’ she slurred, ‘I love you so much’

Vania laughed softly, ‘love you too,’ she said, ‘now please get off the floor’

Skylor turned over, muttering softly in her sleep, and Vania exhaled tiredly. She took out her phone and dialled Cole’s number, but it went to voicemail. Bastard. ‘Ugh,’ she groaned aloud, hesitating before lying down next to Skylor, observing her angelic face as she slept. Her delicate eyelashes fluttered as she continued to murmur inaudible words. Vania sighed, turning over to stare at the ceiling.

The noise of people talking from below gradually faded out to a low hum, and her eyelids grew heavy. She felt sleep take over, the silk of Harumi’s bedsheets cold and gentle against her skin.

‘GET OUT OF HERE!’ Vania jolted awake, sitting up in the bed, yanking the strap of her dress back over her shoulder. ‘What!?’ she asked, blinking rapidly as she tried to regain her vision. Harumi’s figure in the doorway pulled her out of her disorientation.

‘Rumi?’ she said, and Harumi blinked in surprise, ‘Vania!?’ she asked, ‘is that Sky?

Vania nodded, shaking Skylor’s shoulder in an attempt to wake her up, her head still swimming. ‘What’s happening?’ she asked. Harumi grabbed her wrist, closing the door.

‘My parents are coming back early,’ she said, borderline hyperventilating, ‘I just got a text from my dad.’

Vania looked around the room, Harumi’s panic setting off her own anxiety, ‘What do we do?’ she asked, too dazed from her spontaneous nap to think of a coherent response.

‘What’s going on?’ Skylor asked sleepily, and Vania looked back at Harumi, ‘Should we leave, or do you need help?’ she asked.

Harumi dragged her hands down her face, ignoring her ‘I’m completely fucked’ she said, ‘they’re going to kill me’

Vania’s tone was desperate, ‘What do we do, Rumi, please?’

Harumi just stared at her blankly, ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered, ‘help me kick more people out?’

Vania nodded, ‘c’mon, Skylor,’ she said, grabbing her hand. Skylor nodded sleepily, allowing herself to be pulled up, seemingly still completely inebriated. Helpful. Vania stopped in the doorway, ‘Have you seen Cole?’ she asked Harumi hurriedly, ‘I’m meant to be going back with him,’

Harumi’s eyes were wide, ‘I haven’t seen him or any of his friends anywhere,’ she said, ‘they completely disappeared.’

Vania groaned, ‘What the fuck?’ she said, ‘Where am I meant to sleep?’ Next to her, Skylor swayed on her feet, ‘You can stay with me,’ she told her, ‘My house is only a walk away.’

Vania smiled gratefully, ‘Thanks, Sky,’ she said, relief flowing through her, and Skylor squeezed her hand, her eyes sparkling. Harumi glared at them impatiently, ‘Can you two stop literally making out in front of me and go yell at people?’ she demanded, her voice bordering on shrill.

Vania nodded, ‘right, okay, going now,’ she said, backing out the door, dragging Skylor after her.

***

‘YOU CANNOT COMMAND ME’

‘Wyldfyre, please just leave the room.’

‘Nuh uh, I don’t want to’

Vania sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, ‘just listen to me’ she begged, ‘or you’re going to get yelled at by Harumi’s terrifying parents’

Wyldfyre scrunched her nose up, ‘Am not,’ she said, and the boy next to her rolled his eyes at them, ‘listen to her, Wyfy, ’ he said lazily, ‘she’s like totally a princess or something’

Wyldfyre narrowed her eyes, ‘Hmm,’ she said, ‘I will consider, only because Roby is a government-recognised genius, so everything he says is completely the truth.’ Beside her, Roby grinned, ‘That’s like totally true.’

Vania sighed, ‘I’m sure it is,’ he muttered tiredly, ‘now can both of you please go home?’

Beside her, Skylor seemed to snap back to reality, stepping forward and pointing a manicured finger at them, ‘Get. Out. Now,’ she threatened, her tone furious.

Wyldfyre looked at Roby in fear, ‘okay, I’m convinced’ she squeaked, grabbing his wrist and dragging him up. Vania sighed, ‘You couldn’t have done that sooner?’ she questioned Skylor, as they both rushed out the door, ‘I seem to give out the most un-intimidating vibe ever.’

Skylor grabbed her shoulder, steadying herself, ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘I don’t even know if I’m conscious right now’

Vania snorted, ‘Well, we got the last of this floor, I think,’ she said, ‘we shouldn’t have saved the hardest till last, though’

‘True,’ Skylor laughed, motioning towards the stairs, ‘we should probably go downstairs, I think Rumi’s started to clear up,’ she said, and Vania nodded, ‘yeah, okay’ They rushed the stairs, finding a group of people playing a very disorganised game of beer pong in the kitchen.

Vania sighed, ‘c’mon, guys, party’s over,’ she said, and Cinder looked up, ‘Vania!’ he said, ‘wanna play?’ he asked, a mischievous grin on his face. Skylor stepped in front of her, ‘No, she does not wanna play,’ she said, ‘now can you all get out of Harumi’s house,’ she said sternly, pouring a cup out into the sink and throwing it in the trash.

Cinder looked at his friend, who Vania recognised to be Jordana, the girl from the cheer try-outs

‘Dude, we just got here!’ he protested, and Jordana nodded, folding her arms, ‘we’re not leaving,’ she added, looking her up and down, ‘you can’t tell us what to do’

Vania turned to Skylor in desperation, ‘What is happening tonight?’ she said, ‘Why does no one listen to me?’

Skylor ignored her, narrowing her eyes at them, ‘Harumi’s parents are probably going to be back in minutes, so it’s your call unless you want to be there when the cops are called.’

Vania stared at her in horror, ‘Who’s calling the cops?’ she asked, ‘I can’t go to jail, who’s going to want a queen that’s been in jail!? My life will be over!’

Skylor pinched the bridge of her nose, ‘I’m just trying to instill some fear,’ she whispered in exasperation.

Jordana scoffed, ‘Well, it’s not working,’ she said, her tone bored. ‘Also, have any of you seen that nerd Sora?’ she asked, and Cinder looked at her sceptically. ‘Really?’ he said.

She threw her hands in the air, ‘What!? I just need to know which areas to stay away from’ she told him, placing a hand on her hip.

Cinder rolled his eyes, ‘whatever, dude.’

Vania was about to have a meltdown, ‘Please, just leave!’ she begged, ‘Harumi’s going to get in so much trouble if her parents come back with you all here.’

Cinder laughed coldly, ‘as if I care,’ he said, ‘everyone here has been personally victimised by her at least once,’ he added, glancing around the room as everyone seemed to murmur in agreement.

Vania rubbed her eyes, ‘This is useless,’ she muttered to Skylor, ‘let’s just go start cleaning, hopefully it’ll get through to them at some point.’

Skylor nodded, ‘We clearly aren’t getting anywhere,’ she agreed, shooting Jordana one last filthy look.

Vania was desperately trying to scrub a stain out of the rug when they finally arrived, the door jingling as it opened. ‘Fuck’ she whispered, motioning to Skylor, ‘I think they’re here!’ she mouthed. Skylor looked around the room, ‘Do we hide under the couch or something?’

Before she could reply, Harumi stormed into the room, beginning to usher a group of people towards the window.‘All of you, climb out,’ she ordered, only receiving several confused glances in return. ‘And can someone turn off the goddamn music!?’

Vania jolted as she wheeled round to face the elegantly dressed older woman standing in the doorway, an expression of horror on her face. ‘Harumi?’ she said, ‘what’s going on in here?’ The room fell silent, and Harumi froze, ‘hey… mom,’ she said, laughing nervously, ‘did you and dad have a nice time?’

Harumi’s mom stared at the chaos surrounding her, the hoard of teenagers in the lounge looking like deer caught in the headlights.

‘Obviously not, otherwise we wouldn’t be coming home early, would we?’ she said, her voice strained. Harumi said nothing, still frozen in place. ‘Please, get these people out of my house right now,’ her mom continued, her tone low and warning.

Harumi’s dad walked into view, hanging his coat up casually, before stopping in his tracks. ‘What happened to my TV?’ he asked, and Harumi snapped her head backwards. ‘Oh my god,’ she whispered, noticing the large crack stretching diagonally down the screen. ‘This cannot be happening,’ she whispered.

Harumi’s mom looked at her furiously, ‘You are in serious trouble,’ she warned, before proceeding to grab the kid nearest to her by the shoulders and dragging him towards the door, ‘out, now,’ she demanded. His friends immediately rushed after him, and others began to gradually filter out.

Harumi hurried upstairs to clear out the rest of the bedrooms, since they could still hear noise from above them. She caught a glimpse of Cole, Kai, and a few others leaving, but she decided not to go after them since they seemed in a rush for some reason.

Vania looked at Skylor uncertainly, ‘Do we… go too?’ she whispered, glancing over to Harumi and her parents, who had erupted into a heated argument as soon as the door had closed for the final time.

‘You can’t tell me what to do!’ Harumi screeched, ‘I’m almost an adult!’

Harumi’s mom laughed dryly, ‘I can’t tell you what to do? In my own house? That your father and I pay for?’  

Skylor met her eyes, ‘yeah, we need to get out of here right now’ she said, linking arms with Vania, and attempting to sneak past them. Vania felt a tug of guilt for leaving Harumi alone, but what else could they do?

She quickly turned back once they had successfully made it to the front door without being noticed, ‘Thank you for having us!’ she squeaked, before Skylor yanked her onto the porch, slamming the door behind them.

They practically stumbled away from the house, arms still intertwined ‘Oh my god,’ Skylor said, through a fit of relieved giggles. ‘I thought we were gonna be trapped in there forever.’ Vania burst into laughter, ‘That was so intense, I was genuinely shaking,’ she said, holding up her hand for proof. Skylor laughed, hugging her closer as they walked, rain beginning to fall around them.

They walked for a while, the winding paths turning into broad roads filled with bustling traffic and busy pedestrians hidden in a sea of umbrellas.

A crash of thunder made Vania jump. ‘How far away are we from your house?’ she asked in concern, and Skylor looked at her phone. ‘It’s just a bit further into the city,’ she told her, and Vania squinted as she looked at the blinking lights of the billboards surrounding her. A car sped past, the headlights highlighting the individual droplets of water as they fell.

‘Are you sure it’s safe for us to be walking alone?’ she asked, ‘I haven’t really been into the city here much.’ Skylor squeezed her hand reassuringly, ‘You don’t have to worry,’ she said, ‘we’re almost there,’ and Vania nodded, although she still quickened her step.

Skylor grinned, ‘Plus, I’m here to protect you,’ she said, nudging her shoulder playfully. Vania snorted in amusement, ‘Thanks, Sky.’

The door to the apartment creaked open, and Skylor flicked the light switch on, setting down her wet jacket on the table. ‘My dad’s not home, so don’t worry,’ she said, walking over to the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of water. ‘We’ve got the place to ourselves,’ Vania nodded, taking a deep breath. Her surroundings still felt surreal, which she was taking as a sign that she needed to go to sleep immediately. Skylor sighed, ‘My head is killing me,’ she groaned, leaning on the kitchen counter. ‘I’m never drinking again.’

Vania chuckled lightly, ‘I blame Kai for all of this,’ she said, ‘where did he get that much alcohol from in the first place?’ at her words, Skylor burst into laughter, ‘Chad, apparently?’ she said, ‘I swear to god, I’ve never heard of the guy’ Vania giggled, ‘where is he finding these people?’ Skylor shrugged, ‘Truly, I have no idea,’ she said.

Vania approached, sitting on a stool in front of the kitchen counter. ‘I hope Harumi’s alright,’ she said, ‘I really wasn’t expecting any of that to happen’

Skylor began to tie her hair into a messy ponytail with the hairband around her wrist, ‘Harumi’s parents are super chill most of the time,’ she said, ‘I’m sure she’ll be fine, unlike her TV.’

Vania snorted, ‘I guess the chill genes stopped at Harumi’ she remarked, and Skylor cackled, ‘she’s actually adopted’ she explained, ‘which I guess makes more sense’ Vania clasped her hands over her mouth, ‘oh my god, was that really mean of me?’ she asked, and Skylor laughed again, ‘relax, it’s just me’ she said, ‘plus, I’m pretty sure even Harumi herself wouldn’t describe herself as ‘chill’ she added.

Vania nodded, ‘True,’ she agreed, before pausing, ‘wait, so why was she adopted? Was it from birth?’ she asked out of curiosity.

Skylor winced, ‘Uhh… not quite,’ she said, before pausing. ‘Rumi’s parents actually passed away around seven or eight years ago,’ she explained, her voice wavering slightly, ‘it’s a touchy subject, though, please don’t bring it up around her.’

Vania looked at her in shock, ‘Oh my…’ she trailed off, ‘that’s so horrible,’ Skylor grimaced, ‘yeah’ she said, ‘she’s been through some serious stuff,’

Vania shook her head, ‘I can’t even imagine,’ she said softly. Skylor exhaled and pushed up from the counter, ‘Right, we should probably go to bed,’ she said, swiftly changing the subject, clearly not wanting to talk about Harumi's tragic past at two thirty in the morning. Vania murmured in agreement, following her into the hallway.

After a quick call from Cole, where Vania had to reassure him she hadn’t been kidnapped by Harumi’s parents, she finally sank down into Skylor’s comfy bed. She felt the warmth of the sheets envelop her, and let out a sigh of contentment.

‘You don’t understand how happy I am to be in bed right now’ she said, and Skylor laughed warmly, emerging from the bathroom, toothbrush in her hand, ‘did the clothes I gave you fit okay?’ she asked, and Vania nodded, ‘yeah, perfectly’ she told her, feeling elated to finally be out of that uncomfortable dress.

Vania was flicking through channels on the TV when Skylor finally approached the bed, ‘move over,’ she said, playfully pushing her as she climbed under the covers.

Vania giggled, making room for her and handing her the remote, ‘I can’t find anything good,’ she complained. Skylor laughed, ‘we don’t have to watch anything’ she said, turning the lamp off and nestling into the blanket, laying her head on Vania’s shoulder, ‘let’s just go to sleep’ she said with a yawn.

Vania could feel her heart rate increase, ‘okay’ she agreed, her voice coming out higher pitched than she wanted it to. Skylor sighed, snaking her arms around her, ‘night, Vania,’ she whispered sleepily. Vania leaned into her touch, ‘night, Skylor,’ she replied softly, her eyelids getting heavy as she began to drift into sleep.

Chapter Text

‘Thank you so much, Cole, again.’ Nya rushed out, aggressively yanking her heel on.

Her black hair was loose and messy, falling in ringlets across her shoulders, and she looked as though she hadn’t gotten much sleep either. He considered telling her that her eye makeup was smeared across her face, but he figured she would probably notice herself at some point.

‘I’m so sorry about us all crashing here.’

Cole shook his head. ‘Seriously, it’s fine,’ he told her, ‘It was actually pretty nice to have the company.’

She squeezed his shoulder with a smile once she had righted herself, ‘See you later,’ she told him, opening the door. ‘Bye, Nya,’ he answered with a chuckle, holding the door open for her as she waited for her brother.

‘Kai!’ she shouted past him, ‘Hurry up!’ Cole turned around, feeling a sense of dread at the thought of having to face Kai after how he had acted last night. ‘I’m coming!’ Kai yelled, ‘Just get in the car!’ Nya rolled her eyes. ‘he’s so slow,’ she complained, and Cole snorted. ‘You’re both as bad as each other.’ 

‘Hey!’ Nya protested, ‘I think you’ll find I’m ready to go, and he’s still doing god knows what upstairs,’ she said. Cole laughed. ‘And, you’re both the last ones to leave by like three hours.’

She laughed, ‘Ever considered we just love spending time with you?’ she said playfully, punching him lightly in the arm. Cole looked at her skeptically. ‘You were both asleep the whole morning,’ he told her. ‘I don’t think that’s considered spending time,’ She laughed, turning away and walking down the drive, squinting in the sunlight. ‘Lies,’ she teased, giving him one last wave. ‘Don’t try to deny our love.’

He gave her an amused glance and waved back. ‘Whatever.’

Kai finally appeared, casually walking down the stairs despite his sister’s attempts at rushing him, and Cole could feel his muscles tense up in apprehension.

‘Thanks, buddy,’ he said, giving Cole a greeting nod and a swift pat on the back, avoiding his eyes. ‘No problem,’ he replied as Kai walked through the doorway, swinging his bag over his shoulder. Cole exhaled deeply and started to turn around and go back inside, but he froze when he felt a hand grip his shoulder.

He spun around, trying to conceal his impatience. ‘What's up, Kai?’ he asked, gently tugging himself free of his grip.

Kai hesitated, finally looking up at him. ‘I, uh… just wanted to apologize if I said anything weird last night,’ he said, his voice low. Cole began to feel nauseous again. ‘It's cool, man,’ he said, desperate to end the conversation.

Kai laughed nervously. ‘I was so wasted, I don’t remember anything at all,’ he continued. ‘I just wanted to check in in case I said something stupid.’

Cole ran his hands through his hair. ‘Nope, you’re good,’ he said quickly. ‘See you later, dude.’

Kai nodded, ‘Yeah, okay… cool,’ he said, turning around with a slight awkwardness. ‘See you tomorrow.’ Cole nodded, giving him a small wave.

He stood, still frozen, watching him walk to his car and climb into the driver's seat, an odd feeling tugging at his stomach. He just about made out Nya turning to Kai and asking something along the lines of, ‘What was that about?’ before he seemed to regain control of his limbs and shut the door behind him with a deep exhale. Fucking hell. 

He spent the rest of the morning attempting to clean the mess that everyone had left behind in their haste to get home before their parents noticed they were gone. However, he quickly grew bored and resorted to playing video games instead. He got so engrossed that the knocking at the door startled him, and for a second, he almost thought it was his dad coming home early from whatever dumb event he was competing at, before he remembered he’d invited Vania over the night before. He quickly rushed down the stairs, not wanting to leave her waiting in the rain that had suddenly begun to pour outside.

‘Hey,’ he greeted, opening the door to a very bedraggled-looking Vania. She was dressed in the same clothes from the party, so Cole assumed she’d come straight from Skylor’s. ‘I’m freezing,’ she complained, walking in and practically peeling her heels off. ‘I swear it was summer like two days ago,’

He chuckled. ‘Please tell me you didn’t walk,’ he said, and she grimaced. ‘Skylor said it wasn’t that far.’

Cole sighed, ‘I live on the edge of the city. I don’t think Skylor has the best sense of direction,’ he said, before motioning to his bedroom. ‘I can give you some spare clothes,’ he offered, ‘they might be massive, though.’ She nodded gratefully. ‘Anything’s better than this dress,’ she said, shivering and clutching her sides. He smiled warmly. ‘C'mon,’ he said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the stairs. ‘Let's go upstairs.’

‘So… is he coming back or what?’ Cole asked, squinting at the TV in confusion, and Vania sighed, ‘You just gotta wait,’ she told him, reaching for the popcorn. He nodded slowly. ‘…right.’ They were sitting on Cole’s bed, wrapped in a blanket up to their necks, and Vania’s teeth had finally stopped chattering. He had somehow been coerced into putting on the second Twilight movie, and he still had no clue what was going on. ‘Dude, you’re hogging the snacks,’ she complained, shoving a fistful of popcorn in her mouth. ‘And seriously, Cole, it’s a simple storyline.’ He rolled his eyes, ‘Sure,’ he said. ‘I don’t get why you like these movies,’ he added, ‘Is it just cause you think the main vampire guy's hot?’ She looked almost offended. ‘No, I just like vampire movies,’ she said, scrunching her nose up. ‘Why? Do you think he’s hot?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Cole said with a snort, ‘he’s definitely not my type.’

‘What the hell is your type?’ she said, pushing him playfully. ‘You’re so mysterious.’ Truth be told, he didn’t even have a type; he just enjoyed winding Vania up. He didn’t have enough experience in the dating field to even think about preference, one of the many downsides that seemed to come with being chronically in the closet.

Cole pulled a face, ‘I am not mysterious,’ he said. ‘I’ve known you a few weeks at most, and you already know my whole life story.’ She grinned. ‘Because I’m just so welcoming and kind?’ He snorted, ‘and humble,’ he muttered, making her burst out in laughter.

He sighed, ‘Can we please turn this off?’ he said, motioning to the TV. ‘You still need to tell me what happened last night,’ he added.

‘Fine,’ She relented, digging around for the remote, ‘I did come over for a gossip session, and we’ve spent three hours watching bad television and eating your entire fridge’ she said, and he laughed, ‘exactly,’ he said, ‘although I wouldn’t call it a gossip session, more like ‘an exchange of information.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘whatever you wanna call it’ she teased, sitting up and grabbing more popcorn. ‘Nothing wrong with the occasional shit talk.’

Cole laughed, shaking his head ‘You’ve been spending too much time with Harumi and Skylor.’ He said, ‘Now, c’mon, I wanna know everything that happened after we got split up.’

She opened her mouth to say something, then hesitated.

‘Cole, before I say anything, I have to tell you something,’ she blurted out, and he furrowed his brows - her sudden change in tone making him a little nervous.

‘What?’ he asked. She exhaled slowly, fiddling with the hem of her hoodie ‘It's about Tox and Chamille,’ she said, ‘they…uh, know,’ she added quietly.

He felt his stomach drop. ‘Huh?’ he asked, ‘…as in, that we aren’t really dating? Or that I’m gay?’ His voice wavered.

‘Both.’ She looked at him nervously. ‘I’m so sorry, Cole,’ she said. ‘They figured it out somehow, and I tried to deny it, but then they started freaking out, and I just panicked, I feel so bad I know that it was really shitty of me-’ Cole grabbed her arm, ‘hey, it’s okay,’ he told her. ‘Calm down.’

Despite his instinct to immediately freak out, he attempted to rationalise the situation in his head - Tox is his friend, she’s kind and understanding, and definitely not the type of person to react negatively or with malice.

He smiled softly ‘It sounds like you did the best you could,’ he told her, ‘Plus, Tox is a raging lesbian, so it’s not like she’s going to start harassing me about it or something,’ he joked, trying to soothe himself as well as her.

Vania nodded slowly. ‘I guess…’ she said thoughtfully. Cole looked at her in amusement. ‘Did you discover lesbians for the first time last night?’ he couldn’t help from tease, and she hit him in the arm.

‘Hey!’ she protested. ‘I’m not a hermit,’ she protested. ‘I had TV when I was home-schooled.’ He laughed. ‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ she scowled. ‘You are so annoying,’ she huffed, before sinking back down into the covers and resting her head on his shoulder.

‘So, we’re good?’ she asked after a beat. ‘I’ve been feeling stressed about this all day.’

Cole squeezed her hand. ‘They already had it figured out. You did nothing wrong – of course, we’re okay.’ He reassured. She smiled, ‘Good,’ she said, ‘and if it helps at all, you have two more people who accept you and care about you.’

Cole sighed, ‘I’m still not telling anyone else,’ he said, ‘if that’s where you’re going with this’

She glared at him, ‘I already told you I don’t have an agenda, I just want you to be happy!’ she defended, ‘plus, I like being your girlfriend,’ she told him with a grin, nudging him. He laughed, ‘I like being your boyfriend too,’ he admitted, ‘I honestly think we’re having much more fun than the people in real relationships right now.’ Vania snorted, ‘especially Kai and Skylor,’ she said. He held back a laugh. ‘Do they even count as a relationship?

He listened intently as Vania began to recount the events of the previous night. ‘Wait, Elena?’ he asked, cutting in when she casually mentioned who she hung out with that night, ‘as in Elena from Highridge Academy?’

She nodded, ‘Chamille is like best friends with her,’ she said, ‘she’s intense, but not like Harumi intense, she’s… different.’ Cole nodded. ‘Fits with what I’ve heard, she’s like an urban legend,’ he said. ‘I think Lloyd is scared of her.’ Vania burst into laughter. ‘I don’t blame him,’ she said, ‘Although she and I did speak for a while, and alone she was actually kinda nice.’

Cole narrowed his eyes. ‘I still don’t trust her,’ he said, before pausing. ‘Why were you alone with her anyway?’ Vania shrugged. ‘She just said she wanted to spend time with me or something and then told Tox and Chamille to go away,’ she told him with a giggle.

He raised an eyebrow, ‘Sounds like she was flirting with you,’ he said airily.

Vania scoffed, shaking her head. ‘No way,’ she said with a laugh, waving him off. ‘You’re insane.’

He opened his mouth to reply, but she quickly changed the subject.

‘Wait, so why did she actually start the feud in the first place?’ she asked, ‘Tox and Chamille never fully explained.’

‘Hockey,’ Cole sighed, ‘I’m pretty sure her best friend is captain, even though I’ve never met the guy- but someone on our team injured him a while ago during a match and she went crazy,’ he told her. Vania pressed her lips together, ‘…that’s kinda sweet,’ she said, and Cole groaned, ‘Seriously?’ he said, ‘She set Coach Folson’s car on fire!’

Vania looked at him skeptically, ‘she did not,’ she said. ‘You’re just making stuff up at this point,’ Cole laughed. ‘Find out for yourself,’ he said, and she scoffed, ‘I don’t even have her number,’ she told him. 

He chuckled, shaking his head, ‘I’m warning you now, this girl is crazy,’ he said, ‘since you don’t seem to have the best instincts in making friends.’ Vania looked up at him, a mischievous grin on her face, ‘Did you just insult yourself?’ she asked.

He rolled his eyes, ‘you’re such a child,’ he groaned, ‘you know what I meant.’

Once she had finished telling him her version of the party, and he had also explained how Nya had managed to get them into conflict with the people no one wanted to even glance at wrong (In Lloyd’s words: "Everyone at school is terrified of Morro – his only motive to show up seems to be to terrorize a new victim every week") they fell into a comfortable silence again, and Cole had to face the unshakable feeling that’d been nagging at him all day once more.

He glanced at her thoughtfully, hesitating for a moment on whether to bring the subject up. He really wasn’t used to having someone he could talk openly to, and he found himself unsure about how to go about it.

‘I... kinda need to tell you something too, but you’ve got to swear not to tell anyone,’ he said quickly. ‘I just can’t tell if I’m overreacting or if this is normal.’

She looked at him in confusion. ‘Oh god,’ she said, ‘what did you do?’

He scowled. ‘I didn’t do anything,’ he said. ‘It's actually about last night- when everyone stayed over at mine,’ he continued. She motioned with her hand, ‘go on’

He sighed, deciding just to spit it out.

‘When Kai gets drunk, he uh… says things to me,’ he told her.

She raised an eyebrow, ‘What kind of things?’

He considered for a moment, stopping himself as he remembered the stupid jokes of last night were actually kind of offensive towards her. ‘Usually just stuff like he would date me if I were a girl, you know, typical shit,’ he told her, ‘I guess, like, flirting with me’

Vania stared at him, ‘I wouldn’t say that was… normal,’ she said slowly.

‘I don’t know,’ Cole sighed, starting to doubt his decision. ‘I think it’s just Kai, though,’ he explained. ‘He says weird stuff all the time,’ She didn’t look entirely convinced. ‘It just stresses me out, makes me feel all strange,’ he added.

She tilted her head to the side, ‘What kind of strange?’ she asked, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged, ‘stressed out, my palms sweat like hell, and I don’t sleep all night,’ he recounted, feeling unsettled at her calm tone. ‘It’s like I’m feverish’

She paused, clearly contemplating ‘Do you think that maybe you… Like him?’ she finally asked, her voice cautious. ‘I feel like I picked up a little bit of a vibe.’ 

Cole stared at her in disbelief, ‘Kai!?’ he spluttered. ‘No,’ he said firmly, shaking his head. ‘Definitely not. Not like that.’ He added, ‘He’s my best friend’

She said nothing, a blank expression still on her face.

He paused, halting his rambling ‘I mean-’

She raised an eyebrow.

‘I, uh…’

His chest felt tight, like there was a pressure building, weighing down on him. Her words had seemed to trigger a spiral in his mind that he felt as though he might never be able to escape from.

His thoughts took him back to the night before, how he felt his face heat up when Kai pulled him closer. How his heart had raced. How shaken he had felt afterwards. When a few months prior, Kai had only a few beers and proceeded to tell him that he was the only person who truly understood him, and then fell asleep on his shoulder – Cole still remembered every detail. He recalled a year ago, when they had stolen from his parents’ liquor cabinet and in a drunken haze had almost brushed their lips together and ended up collapsed on the couch in the lounge, until Cole woke up hours later cold and alone - the same feeling that he felt deep in his chest every night he couldn’t sleep. The guilt he felt whenever he let himself get too close, and how the longing turned seemed to turn to a dull ache.

Trying to hide the way his eyes stung when he first found out about Skylor.

The memories seemed to merge into one, igniting like a fire, stretching into every corner of his mind. Revisiting places he had refused to even acknowledge for years, swallowing all rational thought until he couldn’t take it anymore.

This could not be real. Not him.

‘He’s straight, Vania,’ he said, finally, his voice coming out shakier than he wanted it to.

But… he knew. This had been a long time coming.

Trust Vania to come in and immediately blow everything up.

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you sure?’ she said, ‘cause the things you’ve just told me don’t seem very straight to me.’

Cole sighed, ‘he’s definitely straight,’ he said, ‘no offence, but you don’t know him like I do – he’s just a confusing person. ’

After a while, she spoke softly, ‘I know it’s not my place to interfere, but I really do feel like there's something stronger between you than just a one-sided crush.’ She said, after a pause.

He furrowed his brows, ‘Okay, slow down, I never said I had a crush on him,’ he said, and she fixed him with a deadpan glare, ‘and even if I did’ he continued, ‘just because you get a ‘feeling’ doesn’t mean anything, I can’t like him’ he said definitively, ‘falling in love with your straight best friend is a one way ticket to losing your mind’

She nodded slowly, ‘I think I understand,’ she said, ‘so is this more of a get over it, the "non-crush" that you have on him as quickly as possible then?’

He pressed his lips together, ‘something like that,’ he replied.

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him silently. He chuckled, pulling her closer. Her hair smelled sweet like vanilla, and it was strangely comforting. She nodded, ‘Do you wanna talk about it more or-’

He shook his head, ‘put the damn film back on’

She snorted. ‘God, this must be really messing you up.’

‘No, you’ve gotta shoot him,’ Cole complained loudly, ‘that’s me,’ he added, pointing to the screen desperately, ‘don’t kill me.’

Vania groaned, ‘Cole, I hate video games– please don’t make me keep doing this,’ she complained, ‘I’m so bad,’

He snorted, ‘Don’t give up,’ he said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone, ‘practice makes perfect.’

She glared at him, ‘I hate you,’ she muttered, before looking back to the screen, a confused expression forming on her face, ‘Did I just shoot myself?’

He sighed, setting his controller down. ‘Okay, yeah, you’re hopeless,’ he said ‘Let’s go get a snack.’

She looked at him in confusion, ‘wha-? You just said…’ she protested, before shrugging, ‘whatever, I’m hungry again.’

‘I know I’m not meant to talk about it.’ Vania was leaning against the counter as he rummaged through the cabinets. ‘But if you ever decided to tell him how you feel, I’m totally here for you,’ she told him.

He halted what he was doing, ‘Look, I appreciate your support, V,’ he told her, ‘But seriously, doing anything like that would be social suicide,’ he sighed. ‘Trust me, he doesn’t feel the same way - and I doubt he would keep something like that a secret’

She nodded, ‘I know,’ she said, before giving him a sly grin, pushing his shoulder with her fist, 'So… you do like him,’ she added. He huffed, ‘I’m going to strangle you,’ he told her, and she giggled, backing away, ‘you gotta catch me first.’ He was about to start throwing chips at her, but a noise from the doorway startled him.

‘Cole?’ came a voice, ‘What’s going on?’

He spun around slowly, ‘Dad!’ he greeted through gritted teeth, ‘You did come back early.’

Lou was standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on his face. He was adorned in a rather elaborate suit, cane in hand. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to be in’

Cole shrugged, unsure how to reply, ‘Did you win?’ he settled on asking. Lou sighed, ‘Not this time, son,’ he told him, setting a trophy on the table, ‘Fifth place,’ he said, ‘it seems as though people are not as appreciative of talent as they used to be.’

‘That sucks,’ Cole answered half-heartedly, still reaching around blindly in the cabinet. Lou sighed, ‘I already told them I was too old for any of this – what was the point in my retirement?’ Cole had to fight back from yelling at him, ‘Why don’t you just not do it then?’

Lou hung his jacket up before turning to Vania, ‘I do apologise, where are my manners!’ he said, extending an arm. ‘It’s nice to meet you, young lady.’

Vania shook his hand, ‘Nice to meet you, sir,’ she squeaked. Lou smiled, ‘I have to say, I’m glad you’re here, I was afraid Cole was talking to himself again,’ he told her. Cole watched her press her lips together to keep from laughing.

‘Hey!’ He protested,’ I do not-' he turned to Vania, ‘I do not talk to myself’

Lou laughed heartily, ‘Well, it’s nice to have you here,’ he said to her, ‘you’re welcome anytime.’ Cole almost snorted at the fact that he’d already practically moved her in. ‘Just keep the door open,’ he added with a wink, wagging his finger theatrically.

Cole groaned, ‘Dad!’ he complained, and Vania shot him an amused glance.

‘Will do.’ She said, obviously playing along.

Something about this felt deeply wrong. He didn’t even know whether he wanted his dad to be involved in this whole fake relationship thing. Lying to people at school was one thing, but his dad? Everything seemed so complicated. Yet, there was no way he was even close to telling him the truth; he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to.

‘Well,’ Lou said, ‘if you’ll excuse me, I have some song-writing to do,’ he said, flashing them a goodbye smile. Cole groaned internally. ‘See you later, Dad,’ he said, but he had already slid the doors closed.

Vania exhaled. ‘He seems cool,’ she said, and Cole snorted in amusement, ‘he hates me,’ he replied. ‘No way,’ She shook her head, ‘he definitely cares about you,’ she told him, ‘Trust me, I have a dad who does hate me.’ Cole forced back a laugh, ‘damn,’ he said, pulling a chair out, ‘you really think so?’ he asked.

She nodded, ‘you just have some communication issues, I think,’ she said, ‘you seem like very different people,’ she added. He muttered in agreement.

‘You know, he wanted me to go to a prestigious school just for performing arts, ’ he told her in amusement, ‘made me audition and everything.’

She stared at him, ‘there’s no way’ she said, ‘I cannot imagine you at a school like that’ he nodded, ‘you can say that again’ he replied, ‘for some reason, he was devastated when they didn’t let me in – like I had a shot in the first place’ she laughed, ‘well, I’m glad they didn’t’ she said, ‘We would have never met each other’

He chuckled, nodding in agreement, ‘although, at the time I felt so bad for letting him down, I actually considered forging an acceptance letter and pretending to go there every day,’ he said, eliciting a burst of laughter from Vania, ‘I’m not sure how that would’ve worked out for you practically,’ she said.

Cole laughed, ‘I don’t know what I was thinking,’ he replied, ‘I eventually decided to embrace being the disappointment who’s still managing to fail performing arts at public school’ he said, and Vania wiped a tear from her eye, ‘You’re acing gym, though?’ she offered, ‘and you’re an amazing goalie’

He sighed. ‘Tell that to my dad,’ he said, ‘he seems to think subjects that don’t contain singing and dancing are inferior,’ he said and Vania laughed again, ‘you seriously have some unusual problems,’ she replied, ‘and come on, this whole thing has gotta be worse than you telling him you’re gay’ she added teasingly.

He hit her arm, ‘Shh,’ he scolded, ‘He’s in the other room.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘he cannot hear me,’ she said, ‘he’s concentrating!’

Cole scowled at her, ‘Well, I don’t want to add another thing for him to be disappointed about,’ he said, ‘the guy would probably keel over and have a fit about ‘the family legacy’

Vania nodded with a sigh, ‘I wish you and I could just live together,’ she said. ‘I’m getting sick of parents, ’

Cole snorted, grabbing a handful of chips. ‘Agreed,’ he said, ‘although… maybe we could – if we ended up going to the same college,’ he offered. She groaned, ‘There is absolutely no way I would be allowed to go to college,’ she said, ‘I’m only going to school to be out of my dad’s way for the rest of the year, then my duties as princess get serious,’ she added, pulling a face. Cole shrugged, ‘Too bad,’ he said, ‘I think we’d have a lot of fun.’ She smiled, a little sad, ‘I wish.’

They hung around downstairs for a while, until Vania finally decided to head home – it was getting dark and her father was getting back in the morning, so she had to make sure nothing looked suspicious. He helped her find her things that were scattered all around the house and walked her to the door.

‘You can keep the hoodie,’ he said, ‘it’s too small for me anyway.’

She smiled, ‘Thanks,’ she replied, ‘I can wear it to school tomorrow, just make sure the "relationship thing" is fully rubbed in.’

He laughed, ‘Smart,’ he said, wrapping her in a hug. She squeezed him back, ‘See you tomorrow,’ she said, and he nodded, ‘Good luck with the cheer team results,’

She smiled. ‘Thanks,’ she answered, looking a little nervous at the mention of cheer, ‘should I meet you after practice again?’ He nodded, ‘sure’ he told her, ‘although, can you still come to mine if your dad’s back?’ She bit her lip, ‘I’m not sure’ she said, ‘I might have to make up a dumb excuse,’

He laughed, ‘we’ll think of something,’ he assured with a shrug. She nodded, taking her things off him.

‘If you do, can we please watch a different movie – bring a DVD or something?’ he begged. She snorted, ‘fine,’ she said, pausing to think for a moment, ‘oh my god, I have the entirety of Gilmore Girls on DVD!’ she told him, clapping her hands together excitedly.

He groaned, ‘I give up,’ he said, ‘you’re banned from my house,’

She laughed, giving him a wave, ‘don’t get too excited,’ she said sarcastically, turning away and toward the road. He waved back, shaking his head with a chuckle. She gave him a final grin before disappearing into the rain.

He watched her get to the gate before turning in, running his hands through his hair. It had grown past his shoulders during the summer, but he still felt too lazy to go for a haircut. ‘Cole,’ his dad greeted him, emerging from his room to grab a drink.

He nodded, ‘Hi,’ he muttered, making a beeline for the stairs.

His dad caught his shoulder, and he inwardly sighed.

‘Son, I know we… don’t talk as much as we used to,’ he said, ‘but I’m happy for you,’

Cole cocked his head to one side, ‘Happy for me?’ he asked. His dad cleared his throat, ‘Your girlfriend,’ he said, ‘she seems nice.’

Cole's eyes widened, ‘Oh, right, her- yes,’ he said awkwardly, ‘Um, thanks?’

His dad nodded, patting him on the back and returning to what he was doing. Cole clenched his fist, turning back to the stairs.

He lay in bed, illuminated by only the light of his phone. Lloyd had messaged him earlier, but he felt too exhausted to even read what it said. His mind was still reeling, and the apprehension for school in the morning was beginning to turn to dread. How was he meant to act like everything was normal after this?

He found himself on Kai’s contact, in the hope that he had messaged him something to clear the awkward atmosphere, but there was still nothing. He sighed, clicking on his name and automatically enlarging his profile photo.

He was there when it was taken; it was midsummer, and he Kai and Nya had been playing soccer in the park. Nya had been trying to catch him off guard – but had ended up taking the photo he used for all his socials (petty son of a bitch), much to her exasperation. The guy was irritatingly photogenic. He was looking over his shoulder, with his signature cocky grin on his face, sharp jawline, and his tousled brown hair. His eyes were slightly squinted, turned golden by the sun, sparkling with the triumph of his winning goal. His red jersey was uneven, stretched over his broad shoulders – the tanned skin of his back just visible. Cole made a face, ‘Oh my god,’ he muttered, out loud, quickly shutting his phone screen off and tossing it onto his nightstand. ‘What the fuck am I doing?’ He exhaled deeply, rubbing his hand across his face. This was all Vania’s fault. She’d managed to unearth everything he had been putting all his work into pushing away.

She was amazing – but she was a force, a complete catalyst in his life.

He stared up at the ceiling, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins.

He was fucked.

Unconditionally and irrevocably fucked.

Chapter Text

Vania set her tray down, swinging herself onto the bench next to Cole. He smiled at her warmly, slinging an arm around her and pressing a quick kiss to her hair.

‘Hi,’ she murmured.

She was quietly relieved at how quickly they’d managed to get the hang of physical affection in public, managing to come across relaxed and natural instead of on the edge of a nervous breakdown, like before. They were finding their rhythm; she was sure of it.

Kai gave her a nod of greeting. ‘Hey,’ he said. Vania smiled back, but the awkwardness settled in fast. Sitting between Cole and Kai felt strange. She found herself at a loss for words, feeling almost as though she was inserting herself somewhere she didn’t belong. Cole wasn’t much help; he was fixated on his lunch, creating a massive pile of tater tots as if it were a life-or-death scenario.

She exhaled, deciding it was up to her to break the uncomfortable silence,

‘Is Nya in today?’ she asked Kai, her tone sounding slightly more agitated than her attempt at calm and collected. He shrugged, ‘should be,’ he replied airily, ‘Lloyd’s coming to lunch after he finishes doing ‘captain stuff’, she'll probably come with him,’ he added, a slight resentment lingering in his tone.

Vania sighed, ‘I just wanted to ask her about cheer,’ she said, ‘I’m finding out whether I get on the team today, and she was kind of... ominous about it earlier. I can’t get it out of my head, I don’t know if I’m just overthinking it or if it’s really bad – I mean, I don’t know the people too well, and if she had an experience that bad...’ She trailed off, catching herself before the nervous rambling spiralled any further.

Kai rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t listen to her,’ he said. 'She was dumped from the team and is now eternally bitter about it. You're fine.’

Vania nodded, before looking at him in confusion. ‘Wait-’ she began, before a soft hand on her shoulder startled her. ‘Hey,’ Skylor smiled down at her.

She had her hair down again, falling loosely across her shoulders in soft waves. It made Vania wish she would wear her hair down more often; she looked angelic. She was wearing a light orange tank top with blue jeans, and a golden necklace with an amber pendant hung around the smooth skin of her neck.

Vania grinned, her face lighting up. ‘Hi, Sky!’ she greeted her excitedly, turning around. ‘You okay?’ Skylor squeezed her shoulder, ‘Can I steal you away for a moment?’ she asked, her voice slightly strained. Vania looked at her in confusion, ‘Why? -’ She cut herself off, looking over at Kai, who had discovered a newfound interest in his soda can. ‘Oh, right,’ she said, standing up. Cole looked up from his food, ‘Huh?’ he protested.

She smiled at him reassuringly, ‘I’ll be gone two seconds.’ He glanced at Kai, then back at her, giving her a desperate ‘don’t you dare leave me here’ look.

She sighed, quickly mouthing, ‘You’ll be fine.’ He scrunched his face up disapprovingly. Skylor grabbed her hand and dragged her away, and she cast him one last guilty look.

The hallway buzzed with chatter and the squeak of shoes on linoleum. Lockers slammed, and someone laughed obnoxiously loud.

Kai was seriously the hot topic recently, and she couldn’t help but find it slightly amusing; he wasn’t even trying to be the centre of attention this time. Honestly, it was probably for the best that Cole kept his feelings to himself; Kai’s ego definitely didn’t need to be fed anymore.

She couldn’t say she saw the appeal. He was definitely handsome, that was for sure – but it came with a type of arrogance that she found particularly irritating. But, like Cole said, she barely knew the guy - so maybe her judgments were harsh.

Skylor sighed, ‘Sorry, I just cannot face you-know-who right now,’ she told her, once they had found a quieter spot. Vania nodded, ‘I totally get it,’ she assured her, leaning back against the wall. She hesitated before asking, ‘Did you... end things properly?’

Skylor nodded, a pained look on her face, ‘Yeah’ she muttered, ‘I have no idea how he’s taking it… he likes to act like he doesn’t care, but I know how bad he wanted me to be his girlfriend’ Vania gave her a sympathetic look, ‘he’ll be okay’ she told her, ‘it would’ve been worse if you dragged it out, knowing you weren’t fully in it’

She nodded, ‘yeah,’ she agreed, ‘you’re right.’ Her voice was fragile, almost like she was trying to convince herself.

'Anyway,’ she diverted with a small laugh, ‘I came over to ask if you’d heard from Rumi?’ Vania felt flattered at Skylor’s assumption that she and Harumi were even close enough to text privately; she wasn’t even sure if she had her number. She shook her head, ‘Why?’ she asked, ‘Is she not coming in?’ Skylor pursed her lips, ‘I guess not,’ she said dejectedly, ‘I kinda thought she’d come in for the cheer team announcement, even if she’s convinced the whole party disaster has 'ruined her reputation.’ She rolled of her eyes. Vania snorted, ‘People loved the party!’ she countered, ‘I’ve never had my social media blow up that much in my life.’

Skylor laughed, ‘I know, it was wild for sure’ she replied, ‘she just gets bent out of shape over this kind of stuff, gets convinced everyone hates her – which, in her defence, lots of people do,’ Vania held back a laugh, ‘true,’ she said, ‘it was kind of a shock, but I don’t think anyone's holding against her personally,’

Skylor sighed, ‘Tell that to Miss Drama Queen,’ she said, and Vania laughed, opening her mouth to reply but getting cut off by a loud bang from the cafeteria followed by raised voices.

Skylor grabbed her arm, ‘Okay, what the fuck?’ she muttered, rushing to peer in through the doorway. ‘I think something happened at your table.’

Vania hurried to her side, ‘Is Cole okay?’ she said, scanning the cafeteria, searching for his head above the crowd when she couldn’t spot him at the table. Having a tall friend was incredibly useful sometimes. She jumped at the slam of a door from the other side of the room, and shot Skylor a confused glance.

She could see Garmadon in the middle of the cafeteria, in a serious-looking conversation with one of the hall monitors. His presence immediately brought an air of authority, making her feel slightly reassured. Skylor nudged her, ‘over there,’ she said, grabbing her hand and sneaking around the side of the room.

Vania finally saw Cole, shooting him a look of complete confusion.

He looked pale.

She bounded up to him, ‘Are you okay?’ she asked, concerned, cupping his face in her hands. ‘What happened?’

He pushed her away with an eye roll, ‘I’m good, Mom,’ he joked, before coughing when Skylor appeared next to her.

‘Uh, I mean... thanks, babe – I’m fine,’ he corrected, lowering his voice gruffly and putting an awkward hand on her shoulder.

So much for ‘finding their rhythm.’

She tilted her head up to look at him, unimpressed. ‘Real subtle,’ she muttered under her breath, and she could see him fighting the urge to give her the finger. She took a step back, suppressing a laugh ‘What the hell happened in the two minutes we were gone?’ He sighed, ‘Don’t stress, it’s cool,’ he replied airily, avoiding her eyes.

She shook her head, ‘Tell me right now,’ she demanded, ‘we all heard that.’ He looked across the room at Nya, who was talking to Jay, her eyes wide. ‘We… kind of just got declared war on,’ he told her.

Vania stared at him, ‘What?’ she deadpanned. ‘What does that even mean?’ Cole grimaced, ‘well, Nya and Lloyd arrived, and then… so did Wrayth’ he said, and Vania put her head in her hands, ‘there’s more of them now?’ she asked in exasperation, and Cole nodded, ‘uh-huh’ he replied, ‘Wrayth is like the second scariest out of all of them’ he told her matter-of-factly, and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

‘Right… Who’s Ghoultar then?’ she asked, and Cole sighed impatiently, ‘he’s the dumb one with the stupid hat.’ She hit him in the arm, ‘Don’t talk about him like that when you’re already on the hit list!’ she scolded, looking around nervously.

‘Whatever,’ Cole rolled his eyes before continuing his explanation, ‘We were just talking, and then suddenly Wrayth appears out of nowhere, slams his lunch tray down onto our table - almost giving all of us a heart attack - and then tells us to, ‘watch our backs’ in the most threatening way possible and storms out the room’ he told her.

‘I mean, rumours were flying around all morning, and Nya was convinced they’d planted a bomb in her house, so it’s better than that, I guess?’

Vania looked at him in disbelief, ‘What are you going to do?’ she asked, furrowing her brows, ‘Surely they can’t actually hurt you guys?’ Cole shrugged ‘Who knows’ he said, ‘Garmadon appeared ‘cause of all the commotion, but I don’t think he actually knows what happened’ he added, glancing over to where Garmadon was now talking to Lloyd (who was looking extremely uneasy, giving his dad a sheepish shrug)

‘To be honest,’ Cole continued, ‘Nya’s just as implicated in this so far, and if we tell him the truth, he’ll know about the party and the drinking and will probably end up ratting us out to all our parents.’

He shivered at the thought, ‘And I’d rather not talk to my dad for the next few months, as planned’

Vania nodded, thoughtfully, ‘We have to resolve this quickly, then,’ she said, looking to Skylor, who had been noticeably quiet through their entire debriefing. Cole shook his head, ‘absolutely not, I don’t want you getting involved with this,’ he said, ‘they’ve been to juvie, Vania’

Vania rolled her eyes, ‘are you sure that’s even true?’ she asked, ‘I feel like this whole thing might be an overreaction’ Skylor shook her head, 'I think he’s right, Vania, we should stay out of it’ she told her, and Vania looked at her in protest, ‘what?’ she said, ‘I’m sure this could be resolved if you just talked to them’

Cole sighed, ‘I appreciate the enthusiasm and your overall naivety.’ Vania scowled at him, saying nothing, 'but we can handle this,’ he said, ‘Kai and I will probably just have to fight them at some point, then it’ll be over, relax.’

Vania looked at him incredulously, ‘Are you serious right now?’ she asked. This felt like the most stereotypically male solution.

‘God, you two are so mean to each other,’ Skylor said, interrupting the heated debate, her tone playful, ‘I don’t get how you don’t hurt each other’s feelings!’ Cole stiffened, laughing nervously and yanking Vania to his side ‘ow’ she complained under her breath ‘That’s us!’ he said, the over-the-top slightly hysterical tone already making an appearance.

She regained her composure, smiling up at him, ‘We love each other, really,’ she said, sliding an arm around his back. He looked down at her, ‘True.’

Nice save, Vania, she congratulated herself. Skylor laughed. ‘Goals, I guess,’ she teased, looking out over the crowd.

‘Look, I promised my friend I’d find her before lunch ends,’ she told Vania apologetically, ‘but we’ll go look at the board as soon as Aspheera puts up the results,’ she added, letting go of her hand that she’d been gripping since they’d entered the room. ‘Meet me outside the hall as soon as chemistry ends,’ Vania agreed, pulling her in for a hug.

Cole nodded, ‘Bye, Skylor,’ he said, brushing his hair away from his face. ‘I’m, uh, sorry about you and Kai,’ he added cautiously.

She smiled at him. ‘It’s cool,’ she said, hesitating slightly, like she wanted to say something else. ‘See you guys later,’ she added, finally, turning around and giving them a last wave.

Vania watched her weave through the crowd of people, feeling uneasy at accidentally letting her witness the more real side of her and Cole’s relationship. She decided not to voice her concerns, linking arms with him as they made their way to the staircase. She grinned mischievously, ‘Are you really sorry about her and Kai?’ she prodded. He pressed his lips together, ‘I will push you down the stairs.’

Vania anxiously looked around the corridor, ‘she said she’d be here by now,’ she muttered, tapping the cold metal of the locker behind her in rhythm with her jittering nerves.

Cole squeezed her hand reassuringly, ‘It’ll be okay,’ he told her. ‘I promise, getting onto the cheer team is not a life or death situation.’

She sighed, ‘I know that’ she said, ‘I just kinda have this idea of my year at high school now, thanks to you’ she added, ‘and that included doing cheer with my friends’ Cole chuckled, ‘I should’ve never have brought up cheer in the first place’ he said, ‘I’ve turned you into a nervous wreck’

She sighed, ‘I just need to get this over and done with,’ she replied, ‘I hate anticipation.’

‘What’s up, losers?’ Kai greeted them, leaning back onto the locker next to them, backpack slung over one shoulder. ‘You guys looked tense,’ Lloyd added, appearing closely behind him. ‘Thought we’d come see what was going on,’ he set a bag of hockey sticks on the floor with a loud clack and brushed his hands off on his jeans.

Cole grinned, ‘Vania’s just about to see if she’s getting on the cheer team’ he explained. At his words, he felt her nerves resurface yet again. She could almost feel her heart hammering against her chest.

She wrung her hands, breathing in the faint smell of antiseptic and gym socks. There was no need for her to be this stressed out. She couldn't tear her thoughts away from Skylor and Harumi. Surely, they wouldn’t want to be friends with a failure who couldn’t even make it onto the team with them? Would they even still ask her to sit with them at lunch?

The ticking of the clock opposite her was beginning to feel like a threat.

Lloyd smiled at her, ‘Well, good luck then,’ he said, his green eyes sparkling. Kai nodded at her, ‘You’ll be fine, blondie,’ he said, ‘with a teacher like Cole, you’ll be top of the pyramid in no time.’ Cole snorted, ‘shut it,’ he said, moving his arm to push him playfully, but faltering.

Awkwardness hung in the air for a split second, but Vania felt a rush of relief as she spotted a blur of red hair emerging at the end of the hall. ‘She’s here!’ she diverted, a bit too enthusiastically, tugging on Cole’s arm.

Kai looked over to her, ‘Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave,’ he said brazenly, ‘try not to get kidnapped by Morro,’

Cole laughed, shaking his head. ‘Too soon, man,’

Lloyd grabbed Kai’s shoulder, ‘You can’t avoid her forever,’ he muttered in exasperation as they walked away.

Cole looked down at Vania with a smile, ‘I gotta get to gym class, I’ll see you after school?’ he asked her, as Skylor finally walked up to them. She nodded, giving a quick kiss on the cheek, ‘I’ll text you.’

‘Sorry, Van,’ Skylor said, out of breath. ‘I was all the way on the other side of the building; I think I pulled a muscle.’ Vania laughed, her presence calming her nerves slightly. Skylor smiled at her, ‘let’s go have a look at the bulletin,’ she said, clearly trying to keep her tone casual.

Vania looked at her, eyes wide. ‘We don’t have to do that right now,’ she stalled, ‘why don’t we go get a snack or something?’ Skylor took her hand firmly, ‘Come on, Vania,’ she said with a soft laugh, pulling her towards the doors. Vania locked eyes with her, pleading. She only received an expectant smile in return and a hand ushering her through the doorway.

This was it.

The moment that would prove whether she was truly worthy of them.

She felt nausea pool in her stomach, and she fought off the urge to turn around, yank her hand away, and run. ‘I’ll look,’ Skylor told her, giving her a reassuring squeeze of the hand. Vania nodded, watching as she walked up to the large corkboard, pushing her way through the people.

Motionless at the edge of the room, she awkwardly clutched her bag. She studied Skylor’s face as she read, and she felt her stomach drop. She knew everything had seemed too good to be true.

Skylor looked deep in thought, eyebrows furrowed- definitely not excited. Not happy.

Her breathing shortened. She could see it all unravelling in front of her. They’d realize how much of a loser she really was and dump her for whoever had actually been talented enough to get on the team. Someone who had actually practiced cheer before, instead of poorly instructed gymnastics taught by royal advisors who had no clue what they were doing.

The floor under her feet started to feel wobbly.

What was she even doing here in the first place? Pretending. Playing normal like she wasn’t about to be yanked back into isolation the moment her father’s petty ‘punishment’ stopped serving a purpose?

She thought back to his return this morning. Cold eyes, stone-faced. A single word as a greeting.

Her hands were trembling now.

It hadn’t always been like this. A year ago, he’d smiled. He’d cared. Or at least pretended well enough that she believed it. She was still alone, of course, but she’d had her father. She’d had a father who loved her. It was like someone had taken his place, replaced his warm smile with that look. The look of pure resentment and apathy. The look that continues to show her how much he doesn’t care.

It felt like something was rising in her, like the room was flooding.

She made a start for the doors, accidentally colliding with Skylor, who was rushing over to her, in her blind haste.

‘Congrats!’ she exclaimed, steadying her by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. ‘I just knew you’d make it on the team.’ Vania stared at her in disbelief. ‘Are you-’ her voice cut off, her words shaky, ‘are you serious?’

Skylor furrowed her eyebrows, ‘Are you feeling okay?’ she asked in concern, her voice like honey. ‘B-but,’ she stammered, ‘it didn’t look good when you were over there.’

Skylor laughed lightly, ‘resting bitch face, I guess?’ she offered, pausing to look at her again. ‘Vania, seriously, what’s going on? You look paler than usual.’

Vania felt lightheaded, but she just about mustered a laugh, ‘I’m good… I think’ she replied. Her head was starting to feel slightly calmer. ‘I might need to sit down, though.’ Skylor smiled at her again, eyes kind. ‘Of course,’ she said, ‘you could also come back to mine after?’ she offered, ‘I’ll make you something to eat’

Vania felt her heart flutter, ‘You’re seriously too kind,’ she told her as they walked out of the hall. Skylor shrugged, ‘wouldn’t be any problem,’ she said, ‘my dad’s still away.’

They sat down on a bench, and Vania laughed, ‘mine isn’t,’ she answered, ‘that’s the problem.’ Skylor sighed, ‘Your dad is so controlling,’ she complained, studying her nails in the light.

Vania blinked, startled. She wasn’t used to hearing anyone speak so freely about her father.

She nodded, feeling almost giddy, ‘You can say that again,’ she agreed. ‘I can’t even see Cole except for a few minutes after practice,’ she said, ‘So, it’s not personal.’

Skylor ran her finger along the cracked marble of the bench, ‘You sure he wouldn’t be cool with you literally going to your friend’s house for a few hours? Is he anti-girl talk or what?’ Vania laughed, brushing her hair back over her shoulder, ‘I can try,’ she relented, ‘but don’t expect good results,’ she added, her voice warning. Skylor gave her a grin, ‘No harm in trying, right?’

She quickly put together a text that had just the right amount of emotional manipulation and sent it swiftly. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, she guessed? The thought was highly amusing.

In the midst of Skylor complaining about how her latest pair of shoes had arrived in the wrong colour, Vania was shocked by a notification from her phone. She opened it up quickly and scanned the message,

‘The king allows it, on the condition you are back by six pm sharp. He cannot afford for anything bad to happen to you. We hope you understand.’

She showed the text to Skylor in disbelief, ‘No way,’ she said, and Skylor grinned smugly, ‘What can I say? I’m magic,’ she told her. Vania laughed, ‘Well, he couldn’t be bothered to write out a text message himself, but the result is definitely positive!’

Skylor nodded with a grin, ‘are you going to go to Cole’s instead?’ she asked, ‘I don’t mind’ Vania shook her head, ‘he’ll understand’ she said, clapping her hands together excitedly ‘Plus, I’m looking forward to girl talk now’ Skylor beamed, ‘C’mon’ she said, ‘we should get going if we want to have time to bake cookies,’ Vania grinned, letting her drag her up.

‘Now you’re talking’

They took the bus in the last remains of sunlight, the air crisp yet moist at the same time. Condensation fogged up the windows, and Vania leaned her head against the cool glass, watching the trees blur together in a kaleidoscope of colour. Fall really was here.

They arrived at Skylor’s apartment, the sounds of voices from her father's restaurant rising from underneath the floorboards. She slipped off her shoes, following her into the kitchen. ‘I only get you an hour, but I will get these cookies baked in time,’ Skylor declared, ‘you need food - you look like a ghost, no offense.’ Vania felt a little dizzy at her determination and kindness.

She listened as she rattled off instructions, messily throwing ingredients in a bowl. They shoved them onto a tray and into the oven, and Skylor exhaled triumphantly, ‘We make a good team,’ she said, and Vania’s agreement turned into a shriek of protest when she began to flick flour at her. She escaped around to the other side of the counter, reaching over to smear melted chocolate on Skylor’s nose in an attempt at revenge. They burst into laughter, proceeding to collapse on the floor wearily.

Skylor looked at her with a grin, ‘Truce?’ she offered. Vania begrudgingly accepted, concealing a smile. She stood up, offering her a hand. Once they’d half-heartedly cleaned up, they retreated to Skylor’s room, curling up in the blankets and putting on a movie while they waited for the cookies to bake. The scent of warm sugar drifted through the house, intertwining itself with the soft hum of their conversation. 

‘Do you get tired of the whole ‘you’re in danger’ thing?’ Skylor asked, leaning back on the kitchen counter once the timer had gone off. ‘It seems kind of over the top,’

Vania shrugged, ‘I guess I’m just used to it,’ she said, ‘but, yeah, it can get seriously irritating sometimes,’ she added.

Skylor nodded, ‘It would drive me insane’ she said, bending down to check on the oven. Vania flicked through her phone, ‘the annoying thing is, it honestly is dangerous for me to even step outside my house alone’ she admitted, ‘people do enjoy kidnapping princesses - hefty ransom money and I can’t say my self-defence skills are top notch’

Skylor’s eyes widened, ‘when you put it like that…’ she said, ‘maybe he’s right to be on edge’ Vania snorted, ‘his main worry would probably be about having to pay the ransom money’ she said dryly, and Skylor’s muffled laughter came from behind the counter, ‘Jesus’ she said, ‘you make my dad seem like a nice guy’

Ping.

Vania looked at her phone in surprise. What the hell did her father want now? She swiped up once more, checking her messages.

She felt herself tense up when she saw it.

The number wasn’t in her contacts, displaying the singular words:

‘How’s it going, Princess?’

For a moment, she felt panic swell in her chest, staring at her phone in confusion. ‘What the-?’ she muttered out loud.

Skylor reappeared with a tray of slightly burnt cookies clasped wonkily in her oven mitt. ‘What is it?’ she asked, her tone curious. Vania shook her head, ‘nothing,’ she swiped off her messenger app, turning her phone off. ‘It’s just Cole,’ she lied.

Skylor nodded, beckoning her over, ‘Get over here and help me pry these off the tray,’ she said. Vania snorted in amusement, ‘I’m starting to think we might’ve overcooked them,’ she joked.

They sat at the table, and Skylor put a piece of cookie in her mouth, ‘they aren’t that bad,’ she said with a scrunch of her nose, bringing Vania out of her daydreams. ‘Huh?’ she asked, and Skylor laughed, ‘The cookies?’

‘Right,’ Vania laughed nervously, ‘I'll try one.’

Her mind was entirely clouded by the message. How was she even supposed to reply to something like that?

She ran through her options: ‘Tell me who this is, right now.’ Way too forward, and maybe a little threatening. ‘I’m not telling you,’ Made her sound as if she were a scared six-year-old. The option of ignoring it altogether wasn’t going to help her nerves. She stifled a groan.

‘What’s it to you?’ sounded a little better. Still, she sounded like she was trying way too hard to be mysterious. She pushed it out of her mind, quickly taking a bite of the cookie. ‘Ow!’ she exclaimed, ‘why are they rock solid?’

Skylor couldn’t hold back a laugh, ‘Sorry, forgot to say that you need to break them up into tiny pieces before you eat them.’ Vania sighed, ‘We need to never bake again.’

Skylor lay sprawled on the bed, her ponytail cascading off the side like a fiery waterfall, casually flicking through her phone.

‘So,’ Vania began cautiously, struggling to ignore the photo of her and Kai propped up on her nightstand, ‘you want to talk about him?’ she asked, motioning towards it.

Skylor’s laughter had an edge to it, ‘Do you want to talk about what happened in the hall earlier?’ she asked. Vania shook her head in amusement, ‘not particularly,’ she answered. Skylor nodded her head in agreement, ‘let’s put the movie back on,’ she said, eliciting a burst of laughter from her, ‘message received,’ she said.  

They sat in bed, illuminated by the flickering television. Vania sighed with contentment. She still couldn’t believe her father agreed to this. Maybe things were going to get better between them.

Suddenly something crossed her mind, ‘Oh, fuck’ she exclaimed, ‘I forgot to tell Cole I wasn’t going to meet him,’ she said, and Skylor couldn’t hide her laugh, ‘Vania!’ she teased, ‘the poor guy’s probably pacing back and forth outside the locker rooms right now.’

She put a hand over her mouth, ‘Oh my god, stop, I feel so guilty,’ she muttered, pulling out her phone, and typing out a quick text, ‘I’m so sorry, my father gave me actual permission to go to Skylor’s, I hope you didn’t wait around for me.’ She smacked a load of hearts on the end for good measure and hit send.

Skylor grinned, ‘Well, I’m flattered that you ditched your boyfriend for me,’ she said, resting her head on Vania’s shoulder, ‘I am a lot more fun than him.’ Vania giggled, ‘I like the confidence,’ she said, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.

She received his reply almost instantly.

‘I had to go to Kai’s because of you. I am in hell. This is not over.’

She hid her laugh from Skylor, sending him a quick, ‘you’ll be fine, drama queen’

Vania lay motionless, staring at the ceiling, her eyes tracing the swirling mural of blue, pearl, and shimmering gold glowing above her. Depictions of pale turrets and bridges, intertwining with the clouds, suspended in a sky that seemed to stretch on forever. Its beauty seemed like a faint dream when night fell, the shadows casting an almost eerie appearance to their pristine silhouettes.

The ivory city.

She felt a strange emptiness, something she wasn’t used to.

She usually felt too much. Thoughts that tangled, became stuck in her mind, consumed her. Rushes of emotion that she couldn't control. Now, her mind felt like a numb, white void.

She turned over in bed, attempting to shake the feeling off. Her fingers reached out for the phone on her nightstand. She opened the messenger app once more with a deep breath in, pressing on the message that had been torturing her all evening.

'How’s it going, princess?’

She bit the inside of her cheek, typing out her reply. She stared at it for a moment, adrenaline rushing through her. She shook her head. C’mon, Vania. She hovered her finger over the send button. Pull yourself together.

Her finger lurched forward, pressing send.

She immediately shut off her phone, letting it fall onto her chest, her eyes finding the ceiling once more.

Maybe ‘How’d you get this number, Elena?’ was too bold?

Chapter Text

‘Jesus, you look like crap’

‘Real nice, Lloyd, thanks.’

A smile tugged at the corner of Lloyd’s lips, ‘No offense’ he added, handing Cole a paper bag that smelled faintly like cinnamon and butter.

Cole accepted it, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand, ‘My dad kept me awake all night,’ he lied. ‘Playing the clarinet or some shit,’

Lloyd snorted in amusement, kicking a rock with his shoe. ‘Sounds fun,’

Cole opened the bag and peered inside, looking at Lloyd with a grin on his face. Lloyd rolled his eyes, ‘My dad’s gotten weirdly into baking lately, so I have a ton of pastries lying around,’ he said, ‘don’t expect it to be as good as usual.’

Cole smirked, ‘I cannot imagine your dad in an apron.’

Lloyd grimaced, ‘Please don’t try,’ he said, and Cole burst into laughter. The path beneath their feet began to widen, leading them out of the trees and into the open. The school loomed — squat and grey against the pale sky.

Cole suppressed a sigh as he felt the familiar weight settle in his chest.

'Can you get him to bake me a cake? Really had the chocolate cravings lately,’ he asked. Lloyd rolled his eyes, ‘When do you not have chocolate cravings?’ Cole mock gasped, ‘ouch,’ he said, ‘I had a salad last night!’

Lloyd looked at him sceptically.

‘Okay, maybe it was a sandwich.’

Lloyd chuckled, swinging his backpack onto the other shoulder. ‘That I can believe’

Cole grinned. ‘With bacon in it,’

He furrowed his eyebrows. ‘Ugh, now I want bacon.’

Lloyd shook his head with a smile, ‘What lesson do you have first?’ he asked, and Cole sighed. ‘Art,’ he replied, realizing he definitely had homework due. The words ‘perspective drawing’ floated into his mind. ‘I’ll probably bunk off, though,’ Lloyd laughed, ‘seriously?’ he said, ‘at some point, you actually have to go to your lessons, you know.’

Cole laughed. ‘At some point,’ he replied with a shrug.

They arrived at the gate, and Lloyd looked around cautiously. ‘What should we do if he shows up?’ he asked. ‘I know he hasn’t been in all week, but I have a feeling something’s going to happen soon’

Cole patted him on the shoulder, ‘Relax,’ he said, ‘I’m sure they’ve already forgotten about all the drama.’ Lloyd looked at him uneasily, ‘Did you see Wrayth yesterday?’ he replied, ‘You’re the one who needs to be less relaxed, this is serious.’

Cole sighed, ‘there’s no point in worrying about it,’ he said, ‘Sure, pissing them off definitely wasn’t a great thing to happen, but it’s out of our control.’ Lloyd squinted at him, ‘Are you serious right now? You’re way too chill about this.

Cole didn’t answer. Truthfully, Morro’s vendetta was the last thing he had to worry about.

His mind drifted unwillingly to last night. Kai’s house had felt weirdly… cold. Uninviting. He’d had no choice but to go with him after Vania didn’t show up; he’d run out of excuses completely.

On the way there, Kai had his usual easy grin on his face, talking nonsense to him whilst they walked. Cole could barely meet his eyes, and he hated himself for it.

Even back at his house, in his room, Cole felt uneasy. He couldn’t even hear what he was saying over the constant hum of his mind, slowly increasing in volume. He’d become overly aware of everything — how close they were sitting, how often Kai looked at him, how his hands wouldn’t stop fidgeting. Eventually, he made up some lame excuse and pretty much bolted out of there, muttering ‘see you tomorrow’ under his breath. He hadn’t slept.

There was no way he didn’t notice. Even someone as oblivious as him could’ve picked up that something was off. He was lucky Nya wasn’t there; otherwise, he would probably have another person to add to the growing list of ‘people who know.’ He suppressed a groan.

A shout from behind made him realise he was still standing in the middle of the entrance hall. Lloyd was already halfway out the door. Cole followed after him, jaw tight. It took everything in him not to blame Vania for all of this.

‘Whoa,’

He froze, brush hovering over the canvas, not paying attention to the wad of green paint dripping onto the desk.

‘That’s sick,’

Cole slid his headphones down his neck. ‘Huh?’ he asked, looking over his shoulder in confusion. Tox grinned, ‘Your painting,’ she said, motioning to the canvas.

Cole tilted his head, a small smile tugging at his mouth, ‘Didn’t think you were in this class?’ he asked.

 ‘Shh,’ she whispered, leaning in. ‘Chamille snuck me in.’ Behind her, there was a muffled giggle and a flash of purple hair from behind an easel.

‘So… what the hell is going on here?’ Tox inquired, squinting at the painting. Cole dipped his brush in water, ‘it’s a massive snake… eating everything.’

Tox nodded, her eyes following the dark green coils twisting between buildings ‘Your mind is an interesting place.’ Cole snorted, ‘Came to me in a dream.’

‘Aren’t you meant to be painting fruit right now?’ she asked with a smirk, and Cole shrugged, ‘Gandalaria gave up on me a long time ago.’

She laughed, a little too loud – and caught herself, ‘Oops. Meant to be keeping a low profile.’

There was a short silence between them, and Cole remembered the reason he had hoped to run into her today. He lowered his voice, ‘uh… can we talk?’ he asked, motioning to the door. Tox followed his gaze, hesitating ‘sure’ she said, ‘only for a few minutes, I promised Chamille I’d look through her project’ Cole nodded, ‘Thanks’ he said, taking a deep breath.

Outside, the air was warm and heavy with the scent of freshly mowed grass. Through the large glass doors, the chatter of class carried faintly.

‘So,’ Cole began, wringing his hands before letting them fall at his sides, ‘Vania told me that you and Chamille figured it out.’ he laughed nervously. ‘I just wanted to double-check that you weren’t going to tell anyone.’ His voice came out small. Tox’s gaze softened, ‘Cole.’ She said, ‘Do you seriously think I’m the kind of person to spread this around school? ‘

He looked down, nudging a leaf with his sneaker ‘I don’t know’ he said, ‘I think I just needed to hear it.’

‘I’ve got your back, dude, always.’ She assured him. He smiled at her, feeling the tension he was carrying ease slightly. Her tone shifted, a little more serious now, ‘if you need anyone to talk to, you know, besides Vania, I’m here,’ she told him. ‘Thanks,’ he told her quietly, ‘means a lot.’ She squeezed his arm, ‘C’mon, let's go back inside.’

He hesitated, ‘Wait, one last thing,’ he said, a little teasing. ‘Out of curiosity, how did you actually figure it out?’

She tilted her head to the side, trying to find the right words, ‘well… I’ve known you a long time, Cole,’ she said, ‘you used to be a little less closed off.’

He shrugged, ‘I guess.’

She smiled, ‘then you made new friends, and something changed,’ she continued, ‘not that I don’t like who you are now, I could just see that you were hiding something.’

Cole said nothing; he barely remembered anything before high school.

‘And then you went through that phase,’ she added, a little cautious, ‘when you were angry all the time.’ She paused, searching his face,’ and now… you’re you,’ she said finally. Her words were gentle, but her eyes were pensive.

Cole felt her words like a sting, ‘I got picked on as a kid,’ he said airily, ‘I changed.’ His eyes flicked to hers. ‘I don’t get picked on anymore.’ Tox winced. ‘Sure,’ she said, ‘it's just-’

He cut her off, ‘I get it,’ he cut in, sharper now. ‘I just wanted to know the exact moment you pinned it down,’ he was beginning to sound forceful, or desperate. He wasn’t sure.

She blinked, ‘I, uh…’ she hesitated.

‘Don’t kill me, please…’

He quickly gestured for her to go on.

‘It was actually from the way you were with Kai,’ she admitted.

Cole froze.

‘I always thought you had a thing for him,’ she continued, ‘not anymore, of course,’ she added, hurriedly.

‘But if I’m wrong don’t-’

He stared at her, words catching in his throat. A cold stillness settled in his chest. It was odd – to have his fears confirmed like that.

‘I…  Uh, have to go,’ he said.

 A tear threatened to prick at his eye. He furiously blinked it back, furrowing his eyebrows together.

Pull yourself together.

A rise of anger flared in him. ‘Wait, Cole,’ she grabbed his arm, ‘If I said something wrong-’ he shrugged her off, ‘forget it, Tox, ’ he said, sharply turning away from her.

Without another word, he quickly walked away. The morning dew seeped into his sneakers. He gritted his teeth, hard, refusing to let anything through. He knew his stuff was still in the classroom, but he didn’t look back.

‘Hey, you’

Cole sniffed, looking away and resting his head on his knee. He felt like he was a kid again.

‘Sorry,’ he muttered. ‘I shouldn’t have dragged you out of class’  

Vania smiled gently, sitting down next to him on the slightly damp marble stairs. ‘It’s cool,’ she said, nudging his shoulder playfully, ‘when you’re usually the teacher’s pet, you can get away with the occasional walk out of class.’ Cole almost laughed. ‘Plus,’ she added, ‘when your best friend texts you ‘need you’ in the most vague and confusing way possible, it’s kind of my job to search the whole school for you.’

Cole looked at her, a half-smile creeping onto his face.

‘Did you just call me your best friend?’

She blinked in surprise, ‘…I guess I did,’ she replied, a soft flush rising in her cheeks, ‘Is that okay?’

He laughed, despite himself. ‘Yeah,’ he said, finding himself at a slight loss for words. ‘It’s not like I can call Kai my best friend anymore… so I guess there’s an open position.’ 

More like his 'best problem'.

She pushed him lightly, grinning. ‘You jerk,’ she muttered.

He chuckled. ‘Of course you’re my best friend,’ he said, ‘it’s not like you’re replaceable’

She glanced at him in amusement, ‘real smooth, buddy,’ she said. ‘I’m just wondering how we’re literally dating but have only just seemed to reach best friend status?’

Cole rolled his eyes, ‘You’re dragging this out,’ he teased. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, ‘and you’re annoying,’ she muttered in amusement.

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the drips from the fountain.

‘So… you wanna tell me why I’m here?’ she asked, ‘cause I’m hoping it's not just to catch up’

He sighed, ‘I talked to Tox,’ he said, glancing down at the floor. Her eyes widened ‘Is this because of the party?’ she asked, ‘because, Cole, I’m so sorry about-‘ he cut her off. ‘It’s not you,’ he assured, ‘honestly, it’s not even really Tox either.’ he fell silent again.

She looked at him, her blue eyes wide and concerned. He exhaled, ‘I only talked to her to clear the air,’ he told her, ‘But then I pressed her on how she figured it out, and she started saying all these things about me.’ he laughed dryly, ‘I guess they hit a nerve or something.’

Vania listened intently, grabbing his hand reassuringly. ‘You’re allowed to feel emotions, Cole, seriously,’

He didn’t respond, taking a deep breath, ‘But then, she told me the exact thing that made her realise-‘ his voice caught in his throat. There was something about other people noticing, perceiving something like this, that made him feel sick.

A look of knowing spread across Vania’s face, ‘Kai.’ She said softly. He nodded, taking everything in im not to let his face crumple. ‘It’s dumb, but…’ he felt frustration rise again. Why couldn’t he form a single sentence?

‘Hey, it’s okay,’ she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. ‘I get it, Cole, you don’t have to explain anything.’ She lay her head on his shoulder. After a moment, he let his head fall gently onto hers. Her quiet, unfaltering understanding tugged at something deep inside him.

‘Will you come with me to get my things from art?’ he asked quietly. She chuckled softly, ‘Fine,’ she replied, ‘but after that, I really do have to get back to lesson.’

‘You want some of my bagel?’

Cole sighed, letting his head drop into his hands.

‘No thanks, I’m not hungry’

Nya looked at him like he’d just pulled out a weapon.

‘You… aren’t… hungry?’

He rolled his eyes at her, ‘Wow, I love this reputation I have with you guys.’

Kai cut in, ‘Hey, at least you aren’t known as ‘the guy with anger issues,’ he said. Nya snorted, ‘Yeah, that is pretty brutal’ she replied, before focusing her attention back to Cole. ‘Are you feeling okay?’ she asked him. ‘Do you want me to take your temperature?’

Cole groaned. ‘Really, Nya?’

After the emotional turmoil of this morning, Cole had barely managed to drag himself into the lunch hall. Only a few more lessons to go, he reassured himself; there was no need to make up an excuse to go home just yet.  

He just hoped he wouldn’t run into Tox before the day ended.

Lloyd shuffled in next to them, ‘What’s up?’ he asked, starting to unpack his lunch. ‘Cole’s not hungry,’ she whispered to him. Lloyd looked over at him in concern, ‘Are you… Good?’ he asked. ‘If you’re ill, I can walk you to the nurse’s office.’ Cole glared at them both, ‘For fucks sake, I’m fine!’ he exclaimed. ‘Just a little tired.’

Kai rolled his eyes, ‘When are you not tired?’ he asked. ‘I’ve never seen that affect your appetite before’

‘Jesus, can we just drop it?’ He was starting to get sick of this. Nya raised an eyebrow, looking over to Lloyd, who shrugged.

He wished Vania were here, but as usual, she was being held hostage at Skylor and Harumi’s table.

‘Is this a bad time?’

Cole snapped his head over the front of the table.

‘We just wanted to have a brief discussion,’ Zane said, his blank eyes examining everyone’s faces. Nya smiled, ‘Of course not, Zane, ’ she said, ‘sit down!’ Zane smiled at her, taking the seat beside Cole.

Cole greeted him with a nod. ‘What’s up?’ he said, and he looked at him in confusion. ‘What is up?’

Cole faltered. ‘Uh…’

Jay bounded up to them. ‘Sorry, I was just grabbing a soda,’ he said, sitting down on the bench beside Nya, giving her a cheesy grin. She rolled her eyes, trying to force back a smile.

Lloyd looked between Jay and Zane, ‘So…?’ he asked.

‘Oh, right!’ Jay exclaimed excitedly, ‘We have a proposition.’

Kai narrowed his eyes, ‘What kind of proposition?’ he asked, ‘cause if this is you asking for Nya’s hand in marriage, I’d say it’s way too early, and also – get the hell away from my sister.’

Jay snorted, ‘Not quite’ he said, giving Nya a sly grin. She turned away with a giggle, avoiding Kai’s eyes. Kai looked between them in horror.  

‘We want to set up an extracurricular,’ Zane cut in.

Kai quickly turned back to him. ‘A club!?’ he asked in disgust, ‘clubs are for nerds.’

Beside him, Nya shot him a withering glare. 

Jay ignored him, taking over Zane’s explanation. ‘As you all know,’ he said, ‘we might be about to get mass murdered by ghosts’

Lloyd and Kai exchanged glances.

‘So, we all need to learn how to fight, quick.’

Cole tilted his head, ‘I wouldn’t go that far…’

Jay didn’t respond. ‘So, we set up a self-defence club!’ he proposed excitedly, ‘we could tell them it’s educational and "completely non-violent," he continued, ‘and then get so pro that Morro will be scared to even come near us!’ He looked over at Zane, ‘plus, Zane has to be the founder of a club for his college application,’ he added under his breath.

Kai’s expression was deadpan ‘So, fight club?’

‘Ehh...’ Jay mused, ‘we should probably avoid copyright.’

Lloyd looked between them, ‘honestly, it’s not a terrible idea,’ he said. Kai stared at them in disbelief. ‘Are you insane?’ he asked, ‘We do have a little thing called hockey? Remember that?’ Lloyd sighed, ‘C’mon, Kai, it’s going to be what? Once a week?’ he told him, ‘There’s no way it would affect hockey’

Jay rolled his eyes, ‘If this is because Zane and I aren’t considered as ‘cool’ or as ‘popular’ as you three, we don’t have to go around the school announcing it with a speaker,’

Nya glared at him. ‘Nice to know I’m not considered cool or popular,’ she said dryly.

Kai groaned in exasperation. ‘You cannot be serious,’ he said. ‘It’s not – I just don’t want to have to spend time with you every week!’

Jay scrunched his nose up. ‘Wow, rude’

Cole rubbed his eyes, ‘sure, I’m in,’ he agreed finally. This felt a little like a humiliation ritual, but he felt the need to back Lloyd up.

Jay’s face lit up, and he turned to Kai. ‘Just you now, buddy,’ he said smugly.

Nya held her hand up, ‘excuse me?’ she said, ‘I am a person, you know.’ Jay looked at her in betrayal, ‘Nya? Really? You seriously don’t want to be a part of this awesome club?’

She sighed, ‘It’s not personal, Jay,’ she said, ‘I do have responsibilities, I’m literally head of year.’

Jay pouted theatrically.

She rolled her eyes, ‘I’m already in most of the clubs we have here, I’m president of three!’

Jay nudged her, ‘One more can’t hurt?’ he offered hopefully.

She groaned.

‘Ugh, fine,’ she relented.

‘I can’t promise that I’ll show up to every meeting, but I guess it was my fault that we got into this mess in the first place’

Jay clapped his hands together excitedly, ‘Okay, now that we’re all in, how are we actually going to get it permitted?’

Kai stared at him, obviously deciding to just accept his fate. ‘You haven’t... already got that part covered?’ he asked slowly. 'What teacher is going to be unhinged enough to back us up on this?' Jay laughed. ‘Of course not!’ he said, ‘I thought we could figure it out together’

‘I’m going to strangle this guy,’ Kai muttered to Cole under his breath. Cole almost spat out his drink.

‘So, you talking about it like you’ve already done all the work, didn’t mean anything?’ Kai asked, his tone clearly annoyed. Jay rolled his eyes, ‘I’m starting to see why they call you ‘that guy with anger issues’ he retorted. Kai’s eye twitched.

Lloyd quickly put his hands up, ‘calm down! we can just ask my dad,’ he offered.

Jay grinned again ‘I forgot we have a nepo baby!’ he replied. ‘I knew it would work out,’ he added, giving Kai a self-satisfied smirk. Lloyd narrowed his eyes, ‘I am not a nepo baby,’ he complained. ‘That’s like celebrities.’

Jay leapt up from the table, ‘sure, whatever,’ he said impatiently. ‘Can we go now?’

‘So,’ Garmadon said slowly, ‘you want to set up a… fight club for no reason?’

Jay nodded enthusiastically, ‘self-defence club, actually!’ he corrected, drumming his fingers on the desk loudly.

‘Hmm,’ Garmadon said, turning to Lloyd. ‘Are you sure about this, son?’ he asked, motioning his head towards Jay.

Lloyd nodded sheepishly, ‘Well, I thought it would be a good idea to give students a way to feel more confident, and to make new connections,’ he explained, and Cole was impressed at his ability to make this terrible idea sound useful for anyone besides them. 

Garmadon narrowed his eyes, ‘and this has absolutely nothing to do with what happened in the cafeteria yesterday?’ 

Lloyd laughed nervously, ‘Of course not, I told you, I have no idea what even happened!’ Cole nodded, ‘no clue,’ he added for effect.

Garmadon continued to flick through a file, ignoring them for a moment.

Cole glanced at Nya, who shrugged. He was about to say something when Garmadon sighed, ‘Well, if this is what you truly want,’ he said, ‘and you follow through on all the necessary safety precautions - go ahead.’

Jay looked at Lloyd in excitement, and Lloyd grinned, ‘Thanks, father’ he said. Zane spoke up, ‘The only problem is that we don’t have a member of staff to oversee,’ he said, ‘and on page 121 of the school rulebook it states-’

‘I have just the person for you,’ Garmadon cut in, not looking up from his paperwork.

Lloyd looked at him knowingly, ‘You cannot be saying…’ he trailed off.  

As if on command, an old man with an impressively long beard emerged from the doorway clutching a bamboo cane and a tray of tea, ‘I apologise for my absence, brother,’ he said, ‘I have brought tea for you.’

He looked up, scanning the room. ‘What is going on?’

Garmadon laughed, shaking his head, taking the mug off him. 'I'll explain in a moment' 

‘Uncle Wu!’ Lloyd greeted him. ‘I didn’t know you were here!’

The man squinted up at him. ‘It’s nice to see you, nephew,’ he greeted him with a bow of the head. Lloyd grinned. ‘This is Wu, my uncle.’ Lloyd introduced him, and the group collectively murmured something like a ‘nice to meet you.’

Wu surveyed them all, his expression unreadable.

Garmadon sat back down in his chair. ‘I was actually wondering if you would accept a job from me,’ he asked his brother, his tone light and conversational.

Wu raised a feathery white eyebrow, ‘Do you think I am in such need?’

Garmadon coughed awkwardly, ‘Well, yes, a little,’ he said, receiving an angry glare from his brother in return. He motioned to where Cole, Nya, Lloyd Jay, and Kai were sitting. ‘Lloyd and his friends would like to set up a club,’ he told him, ‘a self-defence club.’ He shot Jay a withering look. Jay smiled back at him, still practically buzzing in his seat.

Wu looked to them, then back at Garmadon, ‘and what does this have to do with me?’ he asked jadedly.

Garmadon sighed, ‘I want you to run the club’ he declared finally.

Before Wu could speak, Jay butted in.

‘Okay, hold up,’ he said, ‘I thought this was just to oversee?’ he glanced over to Wu, ‘And, no offence, but how is beardy over here meant to teach us anything about self-defence? You’re a little too... how do I put this… old’

Before any of them had time to react, Wu had whipped his cane up to Jay’s chin at an astounding speed, pressing the wood sharply against his skin. ‘I’d think before you speak to someone like that,’ he warned, voice low, his tea still balancing expertly between his fingertips.

Garmadon rose from his seat once more, quickly ushering Wu away, ‘Really, brother,’ he scolded. ‘Please don’t threaten students… paperwork and all that,’ he muttered.

Wu’s gaze was still fixed upon them, and Cole looked at him with a newfound awe. There was something about him that was different from anyone else he had met, and he found it fascinating. He had a serene, yet fierce energy around him that made it clear that there would be no messing around. Jay had to learn that the hard way, it seemed.

Jay’s hands dropped to his sides, and he looked at Wu in complete shock.

‘I apologise-’ Garmadon began wearily, but Jay cut him off.

‘That. Was. So… Cool.’ He stared in wonder.

‘I take everything back, please run our club!’

Cole almost thought he saw the corner of Wu’s mouth curve.

The room fell silent, and he sighed, ‘I… will think about it.’ Garmadon couldn’t conceal his smile.

‘That means he’ll do it!’ Lloyd whispered to them excitedly. Wu’s head snapped towards him, and he raised his cane again. Garmadon lurched forward, pushing it down. ‘For god’s sake, Wu,’ he said, shaking his head.

They spilled out of the office, a flurry of excited chatter and half-shouts. Garmadon followed closely behind, his shoes clicking sharply against the floor. ‘Behave,’ he warned them, offering Lloyd a slight smile. Lloyd grinned back, ‘Of course, father,’ he replied innocently.

‘And if any of you hockey players speak to Coach Folson, let him know I urgently need to speak with him in my office,’ Garmadon added quickly.

‘Got it!’ Jay threw up a dramatic salute, almost elbowing Cole, who shoved him away with a snort of laughter.

As they started walking again, Cole heard the office door slam behind them. The corridor echoed with the shrill ring of the bell. Wu was still in there, waiting. Cole didn’t know what kind of conversation was about to unfold between the two men, or why Garmadon’s brother was even here in the first place - but there was definitely something strange in the air between them.

The rest of the day passed in a haze of lessons he didn’t even register and conversations he barely paid attention to – thankfully – and after a brisk walk home in the cold with Lloyd and Kai, Cole was elated to finally make it back to an empty house.

He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his jacket, dumping them on the floor next to him. He’d sort it out later. He flopped onto his bed, wrapping the covers around him like a warm cocoon. He turned around, pulling out his phone. He had a dozen notifications. Too many. He sighed, swiping up and looking through them. He couldn’t help but snort when he saw a chat named ‘Morro’s victims’ where Jay was spewing random facts about Karate. He decided to ignore it for now, as he still wanted to keep his sanity, and pressed on to the message that really mattered.

‘Hey. Sorry for overstepping earlier, I really wasn’t trying to butt in. Are we cool?’

Cole felt a pang of guilt. Tox shouldn’t have had to suffer the consequences of his emotional breakdown. She’d just answered his questions.

He stared at the screen for a moment – thumbs hovering – before he began typing.

‘No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I was just having a bad day; you did nothing wrong. Of course we’re cool.’

He read it twice before hitting send, letting his phone slip as he buried his face into his pillow.  

He hoped that the next few weeks would be a hell of a lot calmer. Maybe things could finally get back to normal. If he could get over his weird awkwardness with Kai, that was. He sighed.

The ice hockey tournament still loomed ahead, but something about it felt... off. Not wrong exactly – just different. He’d played more games than he could count, but this time, unease twisted in his gut.

Whatever was coming next week, it wasn’t going to be just another match.

Chapter Text

The next few days blurred together, and Vania found herself feeling more and more like herself.

Sure, school was still hard – but she was determined not to let it drain her completely anymore. Her first cheer practice had gone surprisingly okay, and she could already see herself getting the hang of it. Her lessons were going well, and her friendship with Harumi and Skylor seemed to be still intact.

She sat up in bed, yawning. She stretched as the sunlight poured in through the windows. Everything felt… good. Weirdly good. Even Cole had seemed to be losing his mind slightly less yesterday, which was definitely an improvement. For a second, she considered texting him and asking to hang out, but she really didn’t want to have to get into that whole headache with her father.

Instead, she slipped on a pale blue robe and slippers, opening the door to her bedchamber with a creak. She snuck down the spiral staircase, her feet treading as lightly as possible, careful not to make a sound. She slid around the door in the lounge, finding the entrance to a smaller room that was tucked away at the back. She grinned, kneeling to undo the clasp of the cage in the corner.

A ball of white and grey scales came tumbling at her, knocking her off her feet.

‘Shh,’ she whispered, giggling as a rough tongue licked at her face. The dragon looked down at her inquisitively, his wide blue eyes the only thing she could see. She pushed him down, folding her legs to be in a more comfortable (and less crushed) position. ‘Seriously, Chomps,’ she scolded him, scratching him behind the ear, ‘you gotta keep it down, you know Father hates you.’

The dragon tilted his head to the side with a small whine. Vania shook her head with a laugh, scooping him up into her arms. ‘You definitely don’t seem ‘too dangerous to keep in my room overnight’ she scoffed with a roll of her eyes, tickling him underneath the chin. He spun around excitedly, poking her in the eye with the tip of his wing, ‘Ow!’ she exclaimed, before bursting into laughter, ‘Don’t prove him right!’

She was just about to stand up and get him some food when a sentence seeping in from behind the wall stopped her in her tracks.

‘If they’re so insistent on pulling out of the deal, we’re going to have to make them pay for it’

Her father’s tone was low and menacing, and it made her blood run cold.

‘Don’t fret, your majesty,’ another voice hissed, ‘I assure you; they will get what’s coming to them’

The conversation was hushed, and Vania could barely make out anything else. Something about the way they were talking made her feel as though this wasn’t some average trade negotiation.

‘Do you really think you can force them to ship one hundred pounds of vengestone back to us, fool?’ Her father’s voice was dripping in malice. ‘This is not just logistics. Have you ever considered that this could be a trap?’

‘We are out of options, sire,’ the other voice whispered back urgently.

Vania felt uneasy, and she pressed herself back against the wall, trying to be as stealthy as possible. She shot Chompy a look of confusion, and he stared at her blankly in return.

The voices had lowered to a whisper, and only muffled sounds that she couldn’t decipher remained. She took a slow, deep breath out, her mind whirring as she tried to figure out how to get back up to her room unnoticed.

Before she could move, Chompy let out a small yap of excitement, leaping and spinning around to chase his own tail. Vania lunged at him, ‘Shh!’ She grabbed his jaw, ‘Please be quiet,’ she begged him, as her arm became tangled in his tail. Silence rang out again, and she let out a sigh of relief – her father obviously hadn’t heard.

He stared up at her with innocent eyes. She glared back at him. He licked her face once before making a shrill noise that echoed loudly around the room. She winced. ‘You’re officially in my bad books,’ she muttered.

‘Vania?’

Fuck.

She stayed quiet, frozen in place.

‘Yeah?’ she finally piped up, with a wince.

Her father rounded the corner into the room, his brows furrowed. ‘What are you doing up this early?’ he asked sternly. His black hair was messy, and his eyes had deep bags running underneath them. He looked exhausted.

Vania smiled up at him innocently, ‘I was just playing with Chompy, father!’ she said, mustering up her best confused tone, ‘Are you feeling alright?’

Her father scoffed, shaking his head ‘You and that dragon’ he said sternly. She noticed the way the relief changed his posture, and something twisted in her gut. Something felt deeply wrong. She swallowed. ‘Yeah,’ she said, her voice small. ‘he’s pretty much my only friend here.’

Her father rolled his eyes. ‘You do realise he will be taller than me in only a few years?’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t get too attached,’ he added dismissively.

Vania studied her father’s face. ‘I know,’ she said quietly, rising to her feet.

There was something different in the way she was seeing him, like there was something she’d been missing this whole time. She’d always known her father as a cruel man - whether he intended to let her see that side of him or not, but she never considered he could be evil.

She ignored her trembling hands and gave him a small smile. ‘I’ve... got to get back to my room,’ she said, backing away slowly. Her father’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, ‘Are you sure you were just with the dragon?’ he asked. She felt something begin to rise in her, the same feeling she felt in the hall. Panic, she realised. Blind panic.

She was in danger.

She started to get frantic, looking around, trying to see anyone else in the castle. Servants? Advisors? Her father came steadily closer, backing her further into the room, until she was touching the wall. His footsteps were light, and his expression was disturbingly calm. 

‘Are you alright, Vania?’ he asked, echoing her previous question.

Every part of her screamed at her to run.

She nodded quickly, smile widening. ‘Sorry, father,’ she rushed out, ‘I assure you, I was just worried that Chompy hadn’t been fed enough last night, that’s all.’

Her father nodded, slowly.

There was a beat of silence, and she suddenly feared he could hear how her heart was hammering against her chest.

‘And you’re sure you didn’t hear anything?’

Her breath hitched. She wasn’t expecting him to be so direct.

She tilted her head to the side, keeping the smile intact and feigning confusion ‘What would there be to hear?’ she asked, with a half-laugh.

The silence stretched on once more. Her father’s face hardened once more.

‘Run along, then,’ he muttered, waving her off dismissively. She felt an all-consuming relief flow through her. ‘Thank you, father,’ she said, her voice coming out more like a whisper.

He stayed still, back to her, as she slipped past him and rushed out the door, up the staircase to her bedchamber. She halted when she realised - she’d left Chompy downstairs. She couldn’t bring herself to go back for him. She couldn’t. Not now.

At this, she felt tears spring in her eyes. He’ll be fine, obviously, she assured herself, ‘he’s a strong dragon, he’d never let anything happen to him, or me.’

She shakily shut the door behind her, fumbling with the lock and immediately collapsing on the floor in front of it as though her legs gave out from underneath her. she couldn’t even comprehend what had just happened. It was nothing. She was making a fuss over something that had a million explanations. It was her fear alone. It had to be. There was no way she had just been scared of her own father. Sure, he was cold, withdrawn, but he wasn’t a monster.

Yet, the raw guttural feeling that had just taken over her was more than anxiety. She didn’t realise how much she was crying until she felt her damp cheek. She let out another rattling sob, clutching at the fabric of her robes. No, she couldn’t explain this. She couldn’t explain how-

How she thought she was about to die.

She covered her mouth with her hands, silently begging not to let her father hear her sobs.

She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts in order. Her own father wouldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t.

Are you sure about that? A nagging voice in the back of her mind pressed.

This was insane. Conspiring against her own father? She had no proof he was involved in anything illegal. Her whole body was still shaking violently, and her eyes stung. She curled up in her covers once more, the silk of her pillow cold against her cheek.

She felt herself beginning to slip back into sleep. The heaviness in her limbs felt almost comforting, like she was being swallowed by water. She let it happen – she wanted to be anywhere other than here.

She dreamt of her mother. Her golden blonde hair glowed in the pale light of the moon, and she was looking down at Vania with soft eyes.

‘My daughter,’ she whispered adoringly, cupping Vania’s face, a sad smile resting on her lips.

Before Vania could speak, the ground beneath her trembled. Her mother’s white robes began to swirl around her as if they were suddenly caught in an invisible wind, her eyes becoming white slates. Vania reached out in fear, trying to hold onto something, anything, but she felt something strong pulling her backwards. She tried to call out, but something caught in her throat. She stared back at her mother with fearful eyes. She was just out of her reach, yet so far away. Then, her mother’s face morphed. Her expression of love and fondness turned to one of horror, her eyes transfixed on something behind Vania. Vania tried to turn around, but it felt like someone had a cold hand around her neck, forcibly holding her in place. Her mind filled with the sound of metal on metal, a cacophony that reverberated all around her. She tried to cover her ears, but her arms remained outstretched, frozen. She could only listen.  

Her mother’s lips began to form words she couldn’t hear, and she narrowed her eyes against the wind, trying to make them out. She could hear voices all around her, drowning them out. She pushed against whatever was restraining her, ‘Mother!’ she was finally able to call, her voice cracking under the pressure. Her mother’s eyes finally came to rest on her once more, and this time the words were clearer. 

‘Wake up, Vania’

‘Wake up, Vania!’

The door handle was rattling violently. Vania sat up with a jolt, her eyes flicking around the room. It was empty. Light still poured in from the open windows.

She didn’t even know what time it was. 

‘Y-Yes?’ she called out, her voice broken. Her mind was still reeling from the dream, and she felt sick to her stomach.

‘The king wishes to speak with you.’

She didn’t reply. Her throat tightened. She clenched her jaw, forcing back the tears once more, and took a long, shaky breath in. If this really was how it ended, there was no escaping it now. She tried her best to make peace with the idea in the little time she had to rise from her bed and open the door with light fingertips. She grabbed her phone from the dresser, slipping it into her pocket, and making a start for the stairs.

She looked at her father with wide eyes as she entered the room. An intense wave of relief washed over her as she took in the sight of the others in the room, chattering among themselves.

Her father’s eyebrows were furrowed; he looked pale, tense. Half-dead. She crossed the room towards him. ‘You wanted to speak with me?’ she asked, her voice high. Childish. Her dad’s gaze rested upon her. ‘Vania,’ he addressed her solemnly. ‘I apologise for letting you know on such late notice…’

he trailed off, his voice rough.

‘I’m leaving. Right now.’ he said finally. ‘I cannot say for certain how long I’ll be gone, but I am sure it will be quite some time.’

Vania’s eyes widened, and she could barely keep herself together. A pit of emotion swirled within her. ‘Why?’ the question slipped out before she could stop it.

Her father rested a hand on her shoulder, ‘There have been some complications… overseas,’ he said, ‘and I have to take care of it myself’

She paused, before nodding, ‘I understand.’

He gave her a half-smile, ‘I trust you to take care of yourself,’ he said, ‘the advisors and servants will be there to make sure you don’t step out of line.’

She said nothing, still staring at him, half in shock. A silence passed between them once more, and she felt the feeling in her gut come back. The feeling that something was deeply, irreversibly wrong.

Her vision was blurry once more. After a decade of mistrust, why this? why now?

He hesitated before wrapping her up in an embrace. He held onto her with a fragility, like he was afraid.

She couldn’t contain her surprise, letting out a quiet gasp. She stayed rigid for a moment, until, with a mixture of fear and tenderness, she held him back. Tightly.

‘I wish things could’ve been different between us,’ her father whispered. ‘I’m sorry, Vania’

Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks now.

"Could’ve,"

This confirmed everything she had feared. Something big was happening. Something final. Something he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – tell her about.  

‘I-’ she began, but the words faltered.

He squeezed her shoulder. ‘I also trust you to keep this within the palace walls,’ he said, his eyes distant. ‘My departure, especially for this length of time, may be perceived as… inappropriate. The advisors are managing the narrative, but your cooperation is essential,’ he added.

She nodded. ‘I will, father,’ she promised him.

‘Thank you’

With a swift nod and a snap of his fingers, he was gone. The trail of people followed him out of the huge decorated doors until only Vania and a few others were left. They snapped shut with a swift click.

Vania stood, staring blankly. She couldn’t tell if she was still in some kind of dream. The remaining palace staff chattered amongst themselves, already spreading rumours about what could possibly be happening to the king. 

She couldn’t move; it was like something was holding her in place. Her gaze stayed fixed on the spot where her father had been moments ago. Her hands were still, now. Her jaw felt slack. She was completely emotionally and physically drained.

She turned toward the stairs, her steps almost mechanical. She kept walking until she was back in her room, yet again. Everything felt surreal.

She opened her phone, staring at the glowing screen. She pressed on Cole’s contact, typing out a message slowly and carefully.

She hit send.

‘I’m free.’

Her mouth curved into a smile.

‘Okay, three hottest boys at school – go,’ Cole said, trying to open a bottle of champagne with his teeth. Vania snorted, ‘I am not answering that,’ she said, ‘I don’t even know’

As soon as the palace quieted and the staff retreated to their quarters, Vania immediately summoned the guards for a ride to Cole’s house — the only person she truly wanted to share this victory with.

He rolled his eyes at her, ‘Come on,’ he said, ‘I’ll do it too.’

Vania pretended to think for a moment, ‘Wow! I have no idea what your answer will be!’ He shot her a withering glare.

‘Let me guess — Kai, Kai, and... maybe…  I don’t know… Kai?’ she asked, her voice dripping in sarcasm. He whacked her over the head with a cushion. ‘I am never confiding in you ever again.’ She burst into laughter, snatching the bottle off him.

‘You call this a celebration? You can't even open the bottle!’ she teased through her giggles. ‘Where’d you even get this stuff anyway?’

Cole grinned, ‘Lou,’ he said, ‘he never goes in the pantry.’ She gasped, ‘Cole!’ she scolded him, ‘I’m drinking your dad’s champagne?’ he raised an eyebrow, ‘Well… You haven’t yet, but…’ he trailed off as she finally opened the bottle and filled a fancy wine glass to the brim. She smiled sweetly, ‘to Cole’s dad!’ she toasted.

 ‘And mine!’

She downed the glass. Cole cackled, looking at her with a slight concern. ‘That is disgusting,’ she spluttered, slamming it back down, spilling a little on the table. ‘Where did your dad even get this from?’ Cole snorted, ‘Yeah, it was more for the occasion,’ he said, and she laughed. ‘I can tell’

‘Okay, okay,’ Vania said finally, ‘I’ll say the hottest boys and girls,’ she added, ‘so then it’s not too personal,’ Cole grinned, ‘Sure.’

She contemplated for a moment, ‘for girls it’s gotta be Skylor, right?’ she said, ‘I’m so insanely jealous of her.’

Cole shrugged, ‘Don’t ask me.’ He said, eyes focused on his phone. She rolled her eyes, ‘c’mon, I’m also listing the hottest girls, be inventive.’

Cole looked up from his phone and thought for a moment, tilting his head, ‘It’s obviously you,’ he said, grinning mischievously. ‘My beautiful girlfriend.’

He quickly lurched forward, pulling her into him, and she screamed in terror. ‘LET GO OF ME!’

She clambered away, practically crushing them both in the effort. Her stomach hurt from laughing when she finally managed to free herself, picking up the cushion and whacking him with it multiple times. ‘Stop!’ he cried out, ‘my hair!’

He was laughing hysterically whilst trying to shield himself at the same time. ‘I’m divorcing you,’ she muttered, brushing herself off, ‘and I’m taking the kids.’ She snatched the bottle of terrible champagne and sprinted up the stairs. From behind her, she could hear him scramble up after her, ‘I’m coming for you,’ he warned.

After an arguably pathetic game of chase, they collapsed breathless on Cole’s bedroom floor, limbs sprawled out, staring at the ceiling.

Their laughter faded into a quiet stillness until Vania could hear the howls of the wind outside the window.

‘So,’ Cole whispered, ‘is the witch really dead?’

Vania’s laugh rattled through her, ‘more like ‘the king’s gone away’, but similar’

He grinned, turning sideways to look at her, ‘I’m happy for you. I think,’ he said, ‘depends on how you’re actually feeling’

Silence rang out, her eyes not moving from the peeling paint, ‘Cole.’ She said through a breath out.

He raised an eyebrow, ‘Vania?’

She rubbed her eyes, silent for a moment.

‘I think my dad’s corrupt,’ she said finally, ‘and I think he’s in danger.’

Cole’s expression shifted, and he turned himself towards her, propping himself up on his elbow. ‘…That’s serious, Vania’ is all he said.

She nodded, still not meeting his eyes, ‘I know.’

Silence settled between them again.

‘Do we need to… do anything?’ he asked finally.

She smiled, shaking her head.

‘Not for now. He’s gone, right?’

He glanced at her, a little uneasy, ‘You do realise, if you’re right, this could go deeper than all of us,’ he said. ‘Seriously, Vania, be careful.’

She sighed, ‘I’m not in danger, Cole,’ she lied. ‘I’m only investigating’

He narrowed his eyes, ‘Maybe you should just let this go,’ he said, ‘I do want you to still be around by the time we go to college.’

She let out another laugh, ‘Seriously? I already told you I can’t go to college with you.’

He shrugged, his eyes sparkling. ‘I’m sure’

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, ‘What are you planning?’ she said accusingly, and he blinked innocently, ‘nothing!’

‘Always a mystery’

She grinned, shaking her head, taking a swig of the champagne, and immediately pulling a face. ‘Oh my god, put this back,’ she said, ‘I cannot drink any more of this.’ Cole snorted with laughter.

Later that night, she arrived back at the palace. It felt hollow, yet its fragile elegance still shimmered in the moonlight. She gently closed the doors behind her, treading lightly on her feet. As the guards who had escorted her hurried away to their posts, she finally took a long breath out. She felt almost euphoric.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind her, echoing through the hall.

‘Your grace-’ A voice began.

She whipped her head around. ‘What? She asked in irritation, before she realised who was speaking.

She stopped. ‘Hailmar?’ she asked in confusion. ‘Why aren’t you with my father?’

'I don’t think I've ever seen you without him.’

Hailmar bowed his head, ‘Your safety is more important to your father than my presence,’ he told her softly, a mild concern in his eyes as he took in her slightly dishevelled appearance. He rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘I left to help him with his belongings, but he personally ordered me to stay behind to look after you.’

She didn’t smile back. ‘I can look after myself,’ she snapped, pulling herself away from him. ‘Just stay out of my way’

He said nothing, studying her face. ‘My father is gone.’ She continued forcefully, ‘I am going to stay enrolled in school, and I am going to see my friends. You cannot, and will not stop me.

He nodded, ‘I’m not your enemy, Vania,’ he told her, ‘I understand that your father is a complicated man, but... you can trust me.’

She didn’t reply, giving him a last look of scepticism before turning on her heel, her shoes clicking against the ivory staircase.

Chapter Text

‘It’s almost like we have a game in a few hours, and we’re stuck in an empty classroom, watching Jay have some sort of psychotic break’

Kai glared at Lloyd accusingly.

Lloyd sighed, shaking his head. ‘We’ve got hours until we have to leave,’ he replied.

‘Wow. I’d expect a little more professionalism from the captain,’ Kai said with an eye roll.

Cole scoffed. ‘Shut it, Kai, ’ he muttered. He thought Kai had finished with the petty jealousies years ago.

Jay snapped his head towards them, ‘No fighting in my classroom.’

He had already made himself comfortable at the teacher’s desk, spinning slowly around in the large chair. Kai gave him a sarcastic smile.

‘I’m starting to get the feeling that Wu isn’t coming,’ Nya said, turning to Jay. ‘Can I leave now?’

Jay ignored her, quickly standing up and clasping his hands together. ‘Okay,' he began, 'since the coolest old man I’ve ever met isn’t here yet, I’ll have to take this into my own hands – any ideas, Zane?’

Zane narrowed his eyes, ‘That doesn’t seem like you “taking it into your own hands”’

Jay groaned, ‘Fine, whatever,’ he said, looking around the room.

‘Everyone get into pairs, we'll do trust exercises!’

Kai threw his head back, ‘This is the worst day of my life.’

Jay grinned, ‘Cole?’

Cole groaned, ‘Why me?’ he muttered in despair, as Jay dragged him up to the front.

‘Come onnn, what else are we meant to do?’ Jay complained, ‘Look, just lean back, I’ll catch you.’ Cole shot Lloyd a pleading look, who just chuckled to himself. Kai snorted, ‘Are you sure you can even hold him up?’ he said. Cole glared at him, ‘Hey!’ he protested, ‘My body is a temple,’ Lloyd groaned, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before. Can you get on with crushing Jay?’

Jay paused for a moment, clearly ignoring everyone. ‘Do you guys think nunchucks count as educational?’ he asked.

Kai stared at him, ‘Can we just get on with it?’

Nya put her face in her hands, ‘Okay, fine – Kai, you’re with me, we can use twin telepathy or whatever’

Kai shrugged and let her drag him away. Lloyd glanced at Zane, ‘Are we together then?’ he asked. Zane shrugged.

Jay looked at Cole impatiently. ‘Okay, I’m ready for you’

‘You’re creeping me out’

Cole sent one last prayer to god knows where, and slowly let himself fall backwards.

To his relief, he didn’t end up on the floor with a concussion.

Jay peered down at him. ‘See!’ he beamed. ‘I’m a professional’

Cole squinted at him. ‘You’re so weird, man.’

Once Cole had brushed himself off, he turned to see what the other were doing. Predictably, it had fallen into complete disarray. Lloyd was collapsed on the floor, with Zane standing over him, shouting, ‘What the hell did you do to me!?’ and Kai and Nya were just sitting on their phones, looking bored out of their minds. He turned back to Jay, but he’d disappeared to rifle through the drawers of the classroom to presumably look for weapons.

The door creaked open, and a concerned Wu emerged from the hallway.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching them, brows furrowed.

‘You are all hopeless,’ he said blankly.

Heads turned towards him.

Jay laughed nervously, clutching a fountain pen attached to a staple gun. ‘Wu!’ he said, ‘I knew you would come’

Nya groaned.

He made his way to the centre of the room and beckoned them all forward with a swift gesture of his hand. ‘I do not know what was going on – and I do not want to know,’ he told them, taking a sip of his tea.

No one said anything, exchanging glances.

‘There is a set of rules you must follow in order for this to work. Whilst you’re under my teachings, you will refer to me as Sensei Wu – no exceptions’

Jay clapped his hands together excitedly. ‘This is so professional,’ he whispered to Cole.

‘What’s the first thing you’re going to teach us how to do, Uncle?’ Lloyd asked with a grin.

Wu was silent for a moment, eyes narrow. ‘The art of meditation.’

‘Seriously?’ Jay protested, a look of betrayal on his face. ‘This sucks.’

Wu’s eyes snapped to him. ‘In order to act rationally during conflict, one needs to know how to quiet the mind, Jay,’ he scolded.

Jay put his hands up. ‘Okay, okay,’ he said. ‘Please don’t hurt me again.’

Wu took a seat on the floor and urged them all to do the same. ‘Follow my movements,’ he ordered, setting his cane on the carpet.

They surrounded him in a semi–circle, glancing at each other in mild confusion.

‘Posture is important,’ he snapped at Cole, opening one eye. Harsh.

‘Focus on clearing your mind,’ Wu continued. ‘You must learn to have complete and utter control.’

Zane already looked like he had entered into some kind of coma.

Cole’s legs felt numb. The room was too silent. He’d never seen Jay not talk for this long.

Wu continued to instruct them, and Cole became increasingly impatient. Being alone with his thoughts was very obviously his least favourite thing. It wouldn’t be too long before his mind took him to his mom. He tapped the carpet nervously, opening his eyes and looking around. This was so dumb.

A tapping on the door sent relief flowing through him. One of the grade 10 students on the team poked his head around the corner. ‘Um… Coach Folson said he needs Lloyd, Cole and Kai to come for an emergency practice,’ he told them anxiously.

Wu opened his eyes slowly, looking at them pointedly. Cole laughed uncertainly, quickly standing up ‘Sorry, Sensei’

Kai stretched his arms out with a yawn. ‘That kinda made me tired,’ he said, grabbing his bag. ‘Later, losers’

Lloyd looked guilty. ‘Sorry,’ he said, standing up and following Kai toward the door ‘We’ll stick around next week – a lot's going on with hockey at the moment’

Wu nodded. ‘Take care, nephew’

Jay turned to Zane. ‘I feel like Coach forgets we’re also on the team’  

Zane shrugged.

They spent most of the afternoon frantically practising, repeating play after play without pause until Cole wanted to bash his head into the wall.

The team were now anxiously awaiting the bus's arrival.

He slung his kit bag over one shoulder, glancing over at Kai and Jay, who were deep in some sort of ridiculous argument about whether Coach Folson’s ex-wife had actually taken all his trophies in the settlement or just the ones from his self-proclaimed “golden years”. Coach himself was standing by the doors, intently staring at a clipboard, clearly tuning out their blabbering.

‘Cole!’

He turned his head to look over at where the shout had come from.

Vania came bounding up to him, an excited grin on her face.  Her golden hair swung behind her – tied into a ponytail with a purple ribbon that matched her cheer uniform. She gripped his hands, eyes wide. ‘You’re going to Ashvale, right? For the game?’

He blinked, ‘Yeah. First game of the championship’ he replied, tilting his head ‘What’s going on?’

She clapped her hands together, ‘I’m coming too!’ she exclaimed, ‘the cheer team is doing a showcase in the same centre, total last-minute thing.’ A grin tugged at his mouth, ‘Wait, seriously? I don’t have to sit next to Kai?’

She rolled her eyes, ‘You really have to get over this whole ‘avoidance technique,’ she muttered, ‘you’re making life hard for yourself.’ He scowled, ‘Thanks for the unsolicited life advice’ She ignored him, ‘Anyway. I wasn’t even meant to come – being a new addition and all – but when they said we’d be taking the bus as you I managed to get myself in there’ she told him, enthusiastically gesturing as she spoke ‘I mean I’m probably just going to shadow Rumi the whole time, but at least we get to see each other in school!’

Cole laughed, ‘True, we do have like zero classes together’ he said. 'Apart from math.' She grinned, linking arms with him and tugging him towards the glass doors where the staff were frantically checking permission slips. ‘We’re such a couple,’ she said with a happy sigh. He snorted. ‘Really selling it there, V.’

‘When are we leaving?’ Vania asked Coach, practically vibrating with excitement. He looked up from his clipboard, eyeing them wearily. ‘In a moment,’ he responded. ‘The bus is outside, but we’re still waiting for a few people and – ’ he trailed off. Cole followed his gaze to Garmadon, who had just emerged from the corridor, looking slightly bemused.

He stopped in front of them, and Coach tilted his head. ‘Everything alright?’ he asked, pausing to look at his clipboard once more. Garmadon smiled. ‘Of course, Vinny,’ he said, ‘just wanted to check up on the players – first match of the season, right?’

Coach shifted on his feet, looking unsure. ‘Yeah, ’ he muttered. Garmadon turned to Cole, ‘Good luck,’ he said, his eyes kind. Cole smiled, ‘thanks,’ he said, scanning everyone’s heads as they chattered animatedly. He was yet to fall victim to the pre-game jitters, but his heartbeat was slightly erratic.

Around them, the corridor buzzed with excitement as more cheerleaders joined the players. He spotted Harumi’s silvery hair shimmering behind her as she made her way through the crowd – her smile cold and cat-like, curling at the corner of her lips.

Coach scoffed, taking off his cap and running a hand through his hair, ‘he’ll need it,’ he grumbled. Vania held back a giggle. ‘Come on, Cole’s a great goalie,’ Coach shrugged, ‘Sure, but we need more than that today,’ he said. ‘Kid didn’t even agree to be in this position until last year; it’s always a battle.’

Cole gave him a sheepish grin. ‘Sorry?’ he offered. ‘It’s a lot of gear – makes me feel like a fridge.’

Garmadon laughed. ‘You’ll be fine, Vinny, ’ he reassured, ‘Now come on, you’ll make yourself late,' he looked around in exasperation, ‘Where is that son of mine?’ Coach shrugged. ‘It would be great if the captain actually showed up for the game,’ he remarked.

Cinder came bursting through the swinging doors, a smirk plastered on his face. Arin was hot in his tail. ‘Come on, man!’ he complained. ‘You’re being a total jerk’

Coach abruptly held out a hand to stop them. ‘Where have you two been!?’ he demanded. ‘We’ve been waiting for ten minutes!’

Outside, the sky had faded to a dull blue, and rain had begun to fall, light and steady.

Cinder rolled his eyes, ‘Blame him,’ he said airily, thrusting his hand toward Arin, whose dark eyes looked like they could burn a hole into the back of his head. ‘He was holding me up’

‘He was being awful to my friend – I was defending her!’ Arin protested.

Coach heaved a sigh, ticking their names off. ‘I honestly don’t care right now. Just get in line.’

Cinder looked at Arin smugly, slamming his shoulder into him as he turned and strode towards the rest of the team.

Arin exhaled sharply, giving Coach a last nervous glance before joining the others, too.

Garmadon furrowed his brows. ‘Does that count as a safeguarding issue?’ he asked. ‘I’m not in the mood for paperwork.’ Coach Folson barked a laugh, shaking his head – eyes still fixed on his spreadsheet.

Vania and Cole exchanged a glance.

She suddenly gripped Cole’s arm, turning toward him. ‘Do you think I’ll get a chance to watch the game?’ she asked enthusiastically. ‘I don’t know what time we finish,’

Cole grinned. ‘Thought you hated hockey?’

She stamped on his foot. ‘Shh’, she muttered, before holding her head up again. ‘I want to see you, dummy,’ she batted her eyelashes convincingly. He contemplated whether a playful shove would seem too… platonic.

‘Sure,’ he said. ‘I’ll pretend I didn’t see you and Skylor sneak off last time,’ She let out a burst of laughter. ‘False accusations,’ she protested half-heartedly. He looked at her in amusement.

Garmadon glanced at his watch. ‘I do apologise for Lloyd, I don’t know what’s gotten into him – punctuality is supposed to be an important family value for us,’ he said, and Coach waved him off. ‘It’s fine,’ he said, ‘we’ve still got time’

Cole scrunched his nose up. ‘Why does he get a free pass? I was late once, and you made me do sixteen push-ups!’

Coach glanced at Garmadon in amusement. ‘Because I trust Lloyd – you were late because apparently you “accidentally ordered chicken tenders to school and you didn’t want to let them go cold”’

Vania snorted with laughter. ‘Sounds about right’

Lloyd finally appeared, looking flushed and carrying about eight different things. ‘I’m so sorry, Coach,’ he said through breaths. ‘I lost my mouthguard’

Coach shot him a withering glare. ‘Really, Lloyd?’ he said, before shaking his head. ‘Whatever,’ he added, turning toward the group of people ‘EVERYONE ON THE BUS!’ he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Everyone began to form a messy line, the sound of conversation still ringing through the entrance hall. He ushered students in the direction of the bus before turning to Cole and Lloyd. ‘Stick with me, I need you to help count,’ Cole groaned. ‘Seriously? I thought Vania and I would be able to get the back seats.’

Vania’s smile only widened, practically bouncing on her feet. ‘This is so official,’ she grinned. Cole looked down at her. ‘I'd save some of this energy for the routine’

Once they had successfully counted everyone, Coach sighed with relief. ‘Thank god,’ he muttered, ticking the final box, finally setting the clipboard down.

‘Right,’ Garmadon said, smiling at Lloyd. ‘You’ve got this, son.’

Lloyd grinned widely. ‘Thanks, Dad!’ he called as he turned and sprinted onto the bus.

Cole put an arm around Vania, ‘Let’s go and try and find seats on a minibus with two different sports teams on it,’ he said dryly. She chuckled, nudging him lightly.

Garmadon turned to Coach Folson, ‘Well. Make sure you win,’ he told him. Coach laughed. ‘That’s the aim,’ he replied. There was a short silence before they attempted a slightly awkward handshake. Coach brushed himself off, giving him a swift nod. Garmadon smiled warmly, turning away. ‘Goodbye,’

Coach turned back to Cole and Vania. ‘Well, get a move on, then,’ he scolded them, ushering them onto the bus.

Harumi spun around, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. ‘Spill. Everything,’ she demanded, clutching her pompoms excitedly. Vania glanced at Cole. ‘Like… my whole life story?’ she asked in confusion. Cole snorted. ‘Sure, Vania, that’s what she meant.’

Surprisingly, they’d actually managed to score seats – the downside? They were right behind Harumi and Skylor.

‘No, silly. You said your dad is like dying or something?’ Harumi replied.

Vania giggled. ‘No, he left. Like, physically left the palace.’

Harumi turned to Skylor excitedly. ‘This is, like, amazing news. Does that mean we can come over?’

Skylor scoffed. ‘Really? Not even a "sorry your dad is gone"?’

Harumi rolled her eyes. ‘Sorry your dad is gone,’ she muttered. ‘We’re coming over tomorrow,’

Vania grinned. ‘Fine by me,’ she said, ‘as long as Hailmar can mind his own business’

Skylor turned to face Vania, and Cole started to feel like he was third wheeling. ‘Wait, that’s actually a good idea, we can totally have a debrief of the party and everything.’

Cole slowly turned to look at Vania. ‘Party?’ he asked icily.

She shared a look with Skylor. ‘Um. I kinda invited us to another party tonight?’

Harumi interjected. ‘Not just a party,’ she said. ‘Skylor’s eighteenth birthday party’

Skylor shrugged. ‘I mean my birthday’s not for a week, but sure.’

Cole tilted his head. ‘I thought you were grounded?’ he asked Harumi hopefully.

She grinned smugly, tossing her hair over one shoulder. ‘I dealt with that,’ she replied.

He sighed. ‘I guess I can do that.’ He said finally, ‘it’s not like my dad’s going to care,’ he added, and Vania snorted in amusement.

The idea of a party didn’t seem completely unbearable, but the chaos that seemed to surround his life at the moment loomed threateningly. Parties meant drama. He wasn’t sure if he could cope with any more of that.

The rain was heavier now, blurring the view of the windows as the bus cut through the stream of water that flooded the road.

Once Harumi and Skylor were focused on bickering with each other once more, Vania turned back to him. ‘I mean, I’m fine with whatever – kinda just caved under pressure,’

He shrugged. ‘It’s cool,’ he said. ‘We should go.’ She grinned, unable to conceal her happiness. ‘We’ll stick together this time,’ she replied, ‘since we barely saw each other last time.’

He smiled. ‘Sure.’

She clasped her hands together. ‘I can’t believe I’m going to a real cheer showcase,’ she said wistfully. ‘I still can’t even believe I made the team’

He squeezed her hand. ‘I can,’ he said, resting his head back on the seat, and glancing at her sideways. She said nothing, giving him an appreciative smile.

‘I’ll see you later,’ Vania said hurriedly, standing on her tiptoes to give Cole a quick hug. She kissed both his cheeks, slightly frantically, before clasping his face in her hands ‘Goodbye. Love you. Goodbye. Don’t get hurt.’

He gave her a grin. ‘Bye, Vania.’ Harumi linked arms with her, pulling her away. ‘Come on, lover girl.’  She threw Cole a cheshire grin over her shoulder before muttering to Vania, ‘You two are so sweet.’

It was strange how quickly Vania had become one of the most important figures in his life. Her bubbly, and admittedly slightly chaotic energy had almost completely flipped everything in his life on its head, and somehow, he didn’t mind. It wasn’t even weird, pretending to date, anymore. Their closeness obviously wasn’t fake – it was just different when they were alone.

It was just the way they helped each other out. Vania, he realised, needed this just as much as he did.

He glanced over at Coach; he was attempting to give Jay a pep talk - who looked like he was fighting off a yawn.

‘Come on, kid, you got this,’ he said. ‘If you start to lose it, just follow what Zane does – he’s a total machine out there.’

Jay’s eyes widened. ‘A what?’

Cole sighed and quickly decided to go on a hunt for a vending machine. He needed a candy bar more than he needed to be on Coach’s good side.

They had already checked in, and there was still a while until the game started. He set his duffel bag onto a bench, glancing over at Kai. He was deep in conversation with Lloyd, running a hand through his hair anxiously. He was wearing a red hoodie, loose-fitting jeans, and had a towel around his neck. His usual spiked hair had deflated slightly, and he was looking a little like a mad scientist. He stifled a chuckle. Clearly, the stress of this game was affecting them all in different ways. He still looked good, though. He always looked good. All jawline, cheekbones – dark and eyes, and caramel skin. He stifled a groan at himself.

Seriously, Cole? That really doesn’t seem like “getting over it.”

He wandered down an empty corridor. The building was tall, and the air felt static. The centre itself was large, and he was already unsure of his surroundings when he realised he had no idea where the ice rink actually was.

He finally found a vending machine and slotted a coin in, contemplating for a moment.

He chose something with enough chocolate in it and waited, giving the machine a kick when it stalled. He sighed with relief when it finally spat the candy out. He grabbed at and turned back the way he came.

The more he walked, the more he realised he had definitely not gone back the way he came. Fuck. At this point, he was going to stay lost in the halls of this arena for eternity.

He began to panic slightly, looking around frantically for any signs. He turned sharply around a corner and collided with something solid. Someone solid.

‘Shit, sorry,’ he muttered, rubbing his shoulder.

‘You dropped your candy.’

Cole looked up. The guy in front of him made him freeze. Well – he said ‘guy’ loosely. He was tall, very tall, and his skin was a darker shade of lilac. Swirls of dark blue decorated his broad shoulders, face and arms. His amber orange eyes shimmered in the cold lighting. His hair was a greenish shade, long, and loosely tied into a plait – a few strands sticking to his forehead. He was dressed casually, wearing a vest top and jean shorts – along with a beaded necklace and a triangular hoop earring hanging on his pointed ear.

‘Are you… Okay?’ he asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

Cole laughed nervously. He nodded, quickly snatching the candy bar off him. ‘T-thanks,’ he managed, hurriedly stuffing it into his pocket – feeling completely mortified for no reason at all. He had to fight to keep his gaze fixed; he had clearly just finished a session in the gym.

He laughed warmly. ‘Well, sorry for crashing into you…’

Cole stared at him blankly for a moment. ‘Oh! - I’m Cole’ he replied, realising he was asking for his name.

He had to just throw himself out the window at this point.

‘Geo,’ he replied, looking around. ‘Looking for anyone?’ he asked.

Cole shook his head vigorously. ‘Just me,’ he answered, leaning back against the wall. Geo looked at him inquisitively, ‘Well, I’m just waiting around until I need to leave – you wanna hang out?’ he asked. ‘If you’re not busy’

Cole’s cheeks burned. ‘Sure,’ he replied with a smile. ‘I’m just killing time.’ He wasn’t sure if that was true – but as long as he showed up when the actual game started, he’d be fine, right? He ran a hand through his hair. The pre-game jitters had definitely started to hit.

Geo led them to a high-up seat that overlooked the tennis courts. Cole really had no idea what floor he was even on.

‘You wanna share my candy bar?’ He asked Geo, unwrapping it and breaking it in half. He hated sharing his food, but something suspicious was happening to him right now.

Geo took it appreciatively with a smile. His lower canines were long – sharp. ‘Thanks,’ he said, before pausing.

‘Are you sure you’re good?’ he added. ‘You seem kinda tense.’

There was a kindness to his tone that made Cole feel immediately calm, almost safe. That was something dangerous.

Cole shrugged. ‘I’m good,’ he said, contemplating for a moment. ‘To be fair, I’m usually stressed out’

Geo laughed. ‘Tell me about it,’ he said in amusement, his eyes flicking over him. Cole paused as he met his gaze.

‘Sorry if this is rude, but – what are you?’

Geo snorted with laughter. ‘The number of times I’ve been asked that,’ Cole clasped his hands over his mouth. ‘Oh my god, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that’

Geo waved him off. ‘No, you’re fine,’ he said. ‘I’m confusing, I get it.’ He grinned. ‘And hopefully a little intriguing?’ he added, his tone playful.

Cole let out a burst of laughter. ‘Smooth,’ he teased.

‘I won’t go into my whole life story,’ he said, ‘my mother was a Munce, and my father was Geckle – I have the markings of a Geckle but, you know, I’m not four-foot-two’

Cole chuckled. ‘That makes sense,’ he said, ‘I was only curious,’

Geo grinned. ‘Because I’m intriguing?’

Cole pushed him in amusement. ‘You wish.’

He cackled. ‘Anyway. I say “was” because I left home a while ago,’ he added. ‘I haven’t spoken to my parents in a long time.’

Cole tilted his head to the side, studying his face intently. ‘Why’s that?’

Geo shrugged. ‘A lot of reasons,’ he said. ‘I mean, it’s not like the two tribes are at war or anything – but there are tensions,’ he said. ‘There was a lot of pressure for me to fit in with both sides, and when you’re me  - it’s pretty difficult to fit in anywhere,’ he laughed dryly.

Cole smiled – a little coy. ‘I don’t think you need to fit in,’ he said, unconsciously moving closer to him. Geo returned his smile before looking down at his shoes.

‘Come on, I told you about me – what’s up with you, Cole?’

Cole laughed. ‘A lot,’ he said, taking a deep breath. ‘I-’ he stopped. His eyes landed on the clock on the wall opposite him. ‘Fuck,’ he said, ‘is that the actual time?’

Geo glanced down at his watch. ‘Yeah,’ he replied, ‘ten past six.’

Cole sprang up from the bench. ‘I have to go, sorry,’ he rushed out, ‘I gotta…’ he couldn’t finish his sentence.

Geo stood, ‘Yeah, I'd better get going too,’ he agreed, quickly grabbing his towel and bottle of water.

He paused, looking at Cole for a second.

‘I'm not sure if I've read this wrong, but… can I get your number?’ he asked him, a crooked grin on his face. 

Any words Cole had left to say got caught in his throat. He paused, brain frozen, before he nodded.

He handed him his phone and could only watch blankly as he typed.

He handed it back, his eyes soft. ‘Well, it was nice to meet you, Cole,’ he said. ‘Hope I’ll see you again at some point?’

Cole coughed. ‘Yeah,’ he finally said. ‘I’d like that.’

Geo squeezed his shoulder before grabbing his things. He gave Cole a friendly wave, who meekly returned the action.

Cole began his navigation to the entrance, feeling like he’d just been electrocuted a thousand times.

He’s not awkward. He’d never been awkward in his life. What the hell had just happened to him?

He fumbled with his phone, deciding to try the one person he desperately needed to talk to.

The phone rang as he rushed through the corridors, desperately following the directions. It wasn't even a big arena; he had no idea how he’d managed to get this lost.

‘Yeah? What’s up?’ Vania asked.

‘Vania,’ he breathed.

‘What!?’ she repeated, urgent.

‘I just… spoke to a guy’

There was a silence.

‘Are you fucking with me?’ she asked. ‘Like you actually flirted with someone?’

Cole contemplated. ‘Well… I tried… I think?’

A high-pitched squeal rang through his ears. ‘Jesus, Vania,’ he complained, ‘you just broke my eardrums.’

‘Tell me EVERYTHING,’ she demanded. ‘Is he hot? Does he think I’m cool?’

‘Okay, slow down, ’ he said, ‘Vania, he’s never even met you – how would he form an opinion about you?’

''Cause of the beautiful picture you painted of me? With your words?’

Cole snorted. ‘How are you even talking to me? I thought you’d be mid-cartwheel right now.’

She sighed. ‘I’m just sat at the side right now,’ she said, ‘they don’t need me yet – anyway, you’re avoiding my questions - you have to tell me everything’

He fought a smile. ‘Well,’ he started, 'I fully crashed into him, he asked to hang out, I think I might’ve accidentally insulted him, and then he asked for my number’ he paused. ‘Plus, he’s taller than me’

‘Oh my god? – Is he like seven feet tall?’ she teased. He could almost hear her grin. ‘Seriously, though, Cole!’ she squealed. ‘This is amazing – I feel like a proud mother’

Cole’s cackle echoed through the walls of the empty corridor. God, it felt like he was lost in the labyrinth.  

‘Um, you do realise that the game starts in ten minutes, right?’ she suddenly said. Cole stiffened, remembering why he was rushing in the first place. ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘I think I’m fucked – there’s no way I’m even finding the rink in time’ He listened for her reply, but the sound began to crackle. He sighed and hung up the phone. He really didn’t have time to be debriefing her in the first place.

He texted her quickly.

‘Speak to you later’

He felt relief flow through him when he finally recognised the entrance hall. He quickly grabbed his bags, asked a receptionist for directions and bolted through the double doors.

He slammed into the changing rooms, ‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said, breathless. A few people were still getting changed, and Vinny was staring at him as if he’d just turned into a ghost or something.

‘Cole, where the hell have you been? You missed warm-up,’ his tone was sharp, incredulous, ‘get into your gear, now.’

Cole nodded. ‘Yes, Coach.’

The cold hit him like a wall as soon as he swung the doors open, sending a chill crawling down his spine. He stealthily slid in next to Jay on the bench, yanking his skates on.

‘Is Highridge not here yet?’ Cole asked, his voice low. Jay’s head snapped towards him. ‘Jesus, Cole – you scared the living shit out of me, when did you get here?’

Cole shrugged sheepishly. ‘A few minutes ago,’ he said. ‘Vinny was pissed’

Jay snorted. ‘He looked like he was about to cry the last I saw him,’ he said, and Cole laughed.

Jay pulled out his mouthguard. ‘Apparently, the captain’s late – so the game’s delayed by a few minutes,’ he said. ‘I hope he just doesn’t show up at all – the guy’s a beast,’ he added.

Cole rolled his eyes. ‘He can’t be that good,’ he said. ‘You played them last year and it wasn’t completely awful’

Cole had had to miss last year’s match because of some stupid excuse his dad had made up – back before he had given up on the whole “parenting thing”. So, he felt a little thrown in at the deep end – everyone else seemed to know what they were up against.

‘We still lost,’ Jay glanced at him wearily. ‘He’s literally one of the best in the city,’ he said, ‘used to play private leagues until he had to transfer to Highridge.’

‘Plus, we used to have Morro back then.’

Cole sighed. ‘Great. Let’s hope the rest of the team sucks.'

He finally skated across the ice, his gear feeling heavier than usual. Coach emerged from the doorway, taking his station behind the bench. His expression was stony as he surveyed them all. Cole started to feel less and less prepared. Although it didn’t seem to bother him as much as it should. Something about meeting Geo had clouded over his nerves, a feeling of exhilaration weighing out the apprehension. Cinder and Arin were still arguing on the bench, their voices steadily rising.

Tox skated up to him, a strand of green hair poking out from under her helmet. ‘Hey,’ she said, her voice muffled. ‘You okay?’ He smiled. He still felt a lingering awkwardness between them. ‘I’m good,' he replied. ‘A little nervous’

She nodded, offering him a thumbs-up. ‘You got this,’ she reassured. He nodded.

‘Thanks, Tox’

In a flash, Jay appeared, skating in fast with a tight curve that kicked up a spray of ice. ‘They’re here,’ he said ominously. Tox snorted, giving him a gentle shove. ‘You are a drama queen’

He glared at her. ‘You almost made me fall over!’ he protested, lunging at her in mock retaliation. She dodged him easily, cackling as she skated away from him.

Cole's attention was diverted by the mechanical hiss of the doors opening. The opposing team stepped onto the ice in a single, unified line. A feeling of dread welled up in his gut before the puck had even dropped. Their navy uniforms gleamed under the harsh strip lights, helmets already on – visors down. They looked sleek, sharp – militaristic.

They were absolutely done for.

The players moved in silence, blades carving smooth lines into the ice.

As they began to stretch, Cole glanced over at Lloyd, who was looking slightly pale.  

The sound of the audience slowly filtered in, and Cole stretched his shoulders – resting his hands on his knees as he scanned the rink. If they really were going to lose, he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Not physically, obviously – there really wasn’t much he could do, since he spent most of his time crouching in front of the goal. He couldn’t say the same for Kai, though, who had a fiery glint in his eye as he sized the players up.

Cole’s eyes wandered over to them once again; the captain, he assumed, was casually leaning against the railing, watching the other players do their stretches. He scoffed. That didn’t seem very-

He froze.

The player took his helmet off.

Streaked green hair. Startling amber eyes. And embroidered ‘C’ on his jersey.

Holy fuck.

They locked eyes.

Geo tried to play off his double-take. A slow smile tugged at his mouth, eyes sharpening with interest. He tilted his head to the side, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Cole stared back at him in disbelief.

He felt lightheaded.

He was currently too far away to talk to, and he had to fight back the urge to shout. ‘Hey, what the actual fuck!?’ across the ice.

Before he could spiral any more, Geo had skated up to him, a wide smile on his face. ‘Cole?’

Through his complete and utter shock, Cole couldn’t hold back a grin. ‘Fancy seeing you here,’ he said.

They stood, a foot apart – the noise around them reducing to a heavy quiet. Geo chuckled lightly, breathing out the cold air. ‘This is hell of a coincidence’

Cole pushed him lightly, sending him backwards. ‘You jerk,’ he muttered. ‘Is this some kind of scheme to psych me out before the game?’

Geo threw his hands in the air. ‘I’m innocent, I swear,’ he said, ‘I’m just as confused as you are’

Cole shook his head in disbelief, a silence falling between them. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘May the best man win, I guess?’

Geo laughed. ‘C’mon, you can let me have a few goals,’ he said playfully, nudging him. Cole grinned. ‘Not happening.’ He said, ‘If anything, you owe me – I shared my candy with you!’

Geo nodded. ‘And it was very brave of you,’ he teased.

A sharp whistle cracked through the air.

‘COLE!’ Coach’s exasperated voice called. ‘Get a move on, we don’t have all day!’

He snapped his head to see his teammates staring at him in confusion. Jay shot him a look of – I have a million questions – but begrudgingly followed the orders Coach was barking at him.

He caught a glimpse of Kai, whose eyes were locked onto him intently, expression unreadable. He felt a flicker of nerves rise in him again.

He skated after Geo, curving around into his position, fixing his eyes on centre ice, where Lloyd was preparing for the faceoff. His face was etched with determination, jaw clenched and emerald eyes ablaze. Jay flanked him on the right, bouncing lightly on his skates – looking ready to burst into action any second. The only time his inhuman level of energy actually came in useful. Zane hovered on the left, entirely motionless – unblinking. Cinder and Tox held the blue line behind them, blades angled, eyes sharp.

The ref stepped in. Cole’s heart thumped in his chest.  

Clack.

The clashes of sticks quickly broke the silence, and Cole immediately lost sight of the puck. He could only see Geo, swiftly snaking between players - a quiet confidence in the way he moved - smooth and precise.

Relief flowed through him when he finally saw Lloyd, picking up speed as he weaved his way to the other side of the ice, puck firmly in his possession.  

The hope didn’t last long. Highridge gained possession fast. There was a brutality to their formation; it was rapid and coordinated, unlike their own strategy, which was more along the lines of ‘fuck around and find out’. By the time they had stolen the puck, Cole was entirely hypnotised by their movements, barely aware of what was happening.

Geo appeared out of nowhere, breaking through the defence with ease. Tox attempted to lunge, but missed, swearing under her breath. Cinder’s eyes were narrow and unwavering as he also tried to intercept, but it was too late. He was coming straight for Cole.

He braced himself, outstretching his arms and desperately trying to clear his mind. Geo faked right, shot left. The puck hit the net with a sickening thunk. The audience erupted into shouts. Fucking great. It was a home game for Highridge after all – so the audience was pretty much going to be ecstatic every time they failed miserably. 

Geo gave him a sheepish grin. ‘Better luck next time?’ he mouthed. Cole rolled his eyes. ‘Show off’

The further the match went on, the more Cole realised he was entirely thrown off his game. He had somehow managed to lose his ability to pay attention for more than a minute.

Kai had come frustratingly close to scoring a goal, but was blocked at the last minute. Tox and Cinder had managed to quickly tighten defence, barely letting anyone through. Cole owed them. Big time.

But the scoreboard didn’t care. It was beginning to look bleak for them – no progression, and they were still one down.

The final seconds ticked away as Zane battled two defensemen in the corner, and Jay was boxed off as he tried to swoop in to help him. The horn sounded, and Cole shot Lloyd a quick glance. He was tight-lipped, and his brows were furrowed. “Not good” was the only takeaway he could get from that.

‘What are you playing at, boys?’ Coach Folson barked at them as he paced back and forth.

Tox looked around. ‘Am I invisible to you guys or something?’ she muttered dryly.

The locker room buzzed with tension. Players sat sullenly, eyes glued to the floor. Coach scowled, ‘This is a joke,’ he ranted. ‘You do realise how much is at stake? If we don’t win this, we’re over for the season.’

Jay rolled his eyes. ‘Lighten up, Vincent’ he said, ‘we’re not doing that bad’

Coach turned to him sharply. ‘I hope you mean “yes, Coach Folson, I will stop standing around and waiting for the other players to do my job” by that?’

Jay put his hands up. ‘Jeez,’ he said. ‘Harsh’

Cole took a swig of his water bottle, bouncing his leg nervously.

‘We need a swift turnaround in the next period, or we may as well just pack up and go home,’ Coach continued. ‘I won’t stand for half-hearted playing – I need you all at your best’

Kai fixed his eyes on Cole from where he was glowering in the corner. ‘Here’s a thought – maybe we’d be doing better if our goalie wasn’t busy fraternising with the enemy,’ he spat.

A whisper of hushed voices broke the silence.

Cole’s cheeks flushed. ‘Fraternising!?’ he protested.

Kai shrugged, avoiding his eyes.

Coach glared at him. ‘Drop the attitude, Smith,’ he told him sharply, ‘Cole’s only missed one save’

‘I mean, he’s not wrong,’ Arin piped up from the corner, his voice small. ‘Maybe we should be a little more competitive. Less… friendly’

Cole gave him a sour look. ‘Mind your own business, Arin,’ he muttered.

He was starting to feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on him.

Jay wasn’t listening. ‘We got this, guys!’ he piped up, drawing the attention away ‘Let's just do our best out there – whatever happens, happens.’

Coach pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘I’m getting too old for this,’ he muttered.

Lloyd stood up, patting his shoulder affectionately, ‘Oh, come on, Coach,’ he said with a chuckle, ‘you’re only in your what – fifties?’

‘I’m forty-two’

Lloyd looked at him in concern. ‘Maybe you do need a break.’

They trudged back out, an air of pessimism hanging around them. Highridge were already back on the ice, waiting for them.

Coach gave a curt nod. ‘Make me proud, boys,’ he said finally. Kai grinned, nudging Lloyd. ‘C’mon, we’ve totally got this,’

Tox sighed. ‘Again? Seriously?’

Cole avoided Kai completely. He had no idea what his deal was – this weird, argumentative thing he had going on wasn’t even worth a second thought.

His spirits lifted when he spotted Vania in the upper tier of the stands; she was alone, cheeks flushed and looking a little tired and dishevelled – presumably from cheer. Her hair was sticking up all over the place. He gave her a little wave, hoping Coach wouldn’t notice. She grinned, waving back.

He took his place in the crease, adjusting his gloves.

The puck dropped. The game resumed.

For a while, nothing happened. The slow bleed of hope returned, and the cold had started to get to him through all his clothes. His legs ached.

They were in possession once more, but the outlook wasn’t great. Messy passes. Missed shots. He tracked the puck like a hawk this time – but he still couldn’t help feeling removed from the action. Slightly helpless.

Finally, Jay broke through.

A turnover at centre ice, a burst of speed down the right wing. The shot hit the post and went in with a satisfying ripple of the net. A grin spread across Cole’s face.

Tie game.

Jay threw his arms in the air, a shit-eating grin on his face. ‘And that’s how it’s done!’ He announced smugly. Cole shook his head in amusement. Kai tackled Jay into a celebratory headlock, almost sending them both crashing into the boards. Coach finally cracked a smile, giving Jay a thumbs-up.

Cole steadied himself once more, forcing himself to pay attention. His optimism finally started to return, and he felt the adrenaline rush through his veins. Maybe they really did have a chance at this.

The feeling didn’t last.

Geo skated a little too close to Kai – who had clearly been twitching to cause trouble the entire game – and he turned, slamming into him shoulder-first. Geo clutched his side, staring after him incredulously, ‘Hey. Watch it,’ he growled. Kai spun around, eyes blazing ‘What you gonna do about it?’ he asked tauntingly, pushing him back by the shoulders. Hard.

Geo curled his hand into a fist, but didn’t move – staring him down unwaveringly. Kai smirked, ‘Scared?’ he jeered. Geo said nothing, clearly choosing not to rise to it. Kai’s jaw clenched. He snapped.

He dropped his gloves and lunged, grabbing him by his jersey and slamming him into the boards. ‘You think you’re too good, huh?’ he hissed. Sticks clattered. The crowd roared. Cole skated halfway out of his crease, looking around in shock. In the stands, Vania’s face was etched with concern – her eyes locked onto Kai.

Refs swarmed in, yanking Kai off – who had a self-satisfied grin plastered on his face. Geo righted himself, looking slightly shaken, but he was still standing. Which, after an encounter with Kai on the ice – was practically a miracle. He rubbed his shoulder and waved off the trainer. ‘I’m fine,’ he muttered. Cole had to fight not to go over to him.

From behind the bench, Coach Folson was staring furiously. White knuckled, jaw clenched.

Five-minute major penalty. Thanks, Kai. He gritted his teeth.

He knew what was coming, crouching low. Geo’s eyes were fixed on him, glinting competitively. He took position near the left circle, movements controlled. The puck dropped, and Highridge passed cleanly. Cole’s eyes trailed Geo as he started towards him.

He missed.

Dropped too early.

Goal.

He slammed his stick against the post, cursing under his breath; he was completely and utterly blowing this, and he knew it. Geo didn’t celebrate, skating back into position wordlessly.  

They still had time.

Lloyd rallied the team, giving frenzied orders mid-shift. ‘Cole, seriously, up your game.’

Cole could only give him a half-hearted nod. He was trying his hardest.

Finally, Tox intercepted a pass and fed Zane, who swiftly cut his way through two defenders, light on his skates. He narrowed his eyes, his brain clearly whirring as he prepared to shoot. At the last minute, he slid the puck across the crease to Kai – who was back on the ice after what felt like no time at all. He tapped it in with ease, grinning menacingly.

They were even once more.

The second intermission passed in a blur. The locker room was tense, but focused. Coach Folson mostly stayed quiet, giving advice in low tones and speaking to players individually. Every time Kai moved, Coach’s eyes followed him – sharp, bitter and barely restrained. There was little discussion, just quick tape jobs and silent nodding.

They prepared to leave, and Coach addressed them all. ‘One more period. One goal.’

They filed back out, and Cole watched as Coach gripped Kai by the shoulder. ‘If you ever try something like that again,’ he hissed, voice low, 'you’ll be gone before you even know it.’

Kai opened his mouth to speak, but Coach cut him off, shaking his head. ‘Keep it to yourself’ he muttered, shoving him forward without another word.

Nothing he’d just faced compared to the intensity of those final twenty minutes.

The puck dropped once more. Chaos broke out, bodies collided, sticks clashed. Cole dropped into position, eyes darting. Every time Highridge surged forward, he tensed up.

Five minutes in, they broke through defence. His breath caught. This was it. The Highridge right winger approached swiftly, passing to the left winger, who fired.

Cole saw it.

Thwack.

The puck slammed into his glove.

A gasp rippled through the audience. He froze for a second, in complete disbelief. Then he stood, raising his glove. The bench erupted.

Lloyd skated past, grinning. ‘About time.’

Vania looked down at him proudly from the stands, cupping her hands around her mouth and cheering loudly. She was drowned out by the shouting of the Highridge crowd, but warmth still bloomed in his chest.

The next ten minutes were tough. Lloyd took a puck to the ribs and kept skating with only a grimace and a shake of his head. Zane got tripped – no call. Kai squared up to a referee, yelling over the roar of the crowd. Coach’s voice was hoarse from shouting.   

Five minutes left.

They pushed harder. Tox and Cinder were relentless, defending like their lives depended on it. Lloyd carried the puck deep, weaving through players at a lightning-fast speed. He passed it to Jay, who missed. Kai recovered and fed it back to Lloyd.

Highridge was clearly panicked – and Geo attempted an interception, but Lloyd avoided him with ease.

Lloyd circled the net, eyes narrowed, searching for an opening. Cole’s adrenaline surged. He drew two defenders, faked a shot, then quickly slipped it straight back to Kai. Kai didn’t hesitate - eyes glowing with determination.

Thirty seconds.

Cole’s heart was in his throat.

Kai fired.

Goal.

The buzzer sounded. The crowd exploded.

Lloyd’s eyes were wide with shock.

They’d won.

Jay and Lloyd tackled Kai in celebration, a mess of shouts and flailing limbs.

Coach could barely contain himself; a wide grin spread across his face.

Vania was jumping up and down in the stands, clapping excitedly.

They’d actually done it.

Once the commotion had died down slightly, Jay skated up to him, looking dazed. ‘Told you we’d win,’ he said, leaning back casually. ‘I don’t get what the big deal about Highridge was anyway,’

Cole scoffed. ‘You liar,’ he said, ‘you were terrified.’

Before Jay could argue back, Geo skated up to them. He extended an arm to Cole, who felt his cheeks flush instantly. ‘Good game,’ he said, eyes shining. Cole nodded, laughing lightly. ‘You gave us hell,’ he replied. Jay’s eyes flicked between them.

Geo grinned, ‘See you around, Cole,’ he said, before disappearing along with the rest of his team.

Jay narrowed his eyes. ‘There’s something sinister about that guy. He’s too nice.’

Cole was barely listening to him. ‘Yeah. He’s not even that good. He’s too humble. And his arms are like… massive,’ his gaze trailed after him.

Jay snorted with laughter. ‘Okay. I think I’m just going to leave you to… whatever that was.’

Cole didn’t reply, eyes fixed on the exit doors.

‘Cole!’ Vania squealed. He swept her up, spinning her around. ‘I can’t believe you won!’

He hadn’t waited around after the game ended, skipping the post-game chatter and Coach Folson’s attempt at a motivational speech. Didn’t shower, just peeled his gear off, threw his hoodie on, and jogged for the tunnel.

‘Thanks for coming to watch,’ he said gratefully, setting her down. She beamed. ‘Of course. Cheer was over pretty quickly.’

‘See, didn’t I tell you they would win, Skales!?’

Cole’s attention flicked toward Pythor – who was seated next to them – in the midst of leaving. He was still trying to figure out why his drama teacher was watching them play hockey at an away game.

The Hypnobrai next to him shot him a withering glance, his red eyes narrow. ‘And I told you I didn’t want to watch a bunch of teenagers hit each other with sssticks on our anniversssary’ he hissed.

Pythor gritted his teeth. ‘You don’t like anything’ he muttered dramatically. Skales rolled his eyes in exasperation, picking up his bag and following him out onto the steps.

Vania’s eyes returned to Cole, and she was clearly struggling not to laugh. He bit his cheek to stop himself from doing the same.

‘So,’ she grinned. ‘You ready to celebrate?’

He nodded fervently, ‘Honestly, yeah’

She linked arms with him, and they turned out the left door and into the corridor.

‘You did amazing,’ she told him. He smiled down at her, and she squeezed his arm.

She suddenly looked backwards. ‘Wait - do you think that was Mr. Chumsworth’s husband? Is he gay?’

Cole gasped, putting a hand over his mouth. ‘Absolutely not. No way,’ he said, ‘are we talking about the same snake? Anacondrai? Drama teacher?’

She nodded excitedly, ‘Yeah!-’ She paused.

‘You’re being sarcastic,’ she realised, deadpan.

Cole snorted, ‘Come on, Vania’ he said. ‘That’s like the most obvious thing about him.’

She pushed him away, ‘You’re the worst. I can never tell with you.’

Chapter Text

‘Do you think I should get an earring?’

‘Please don’t.’ Vania looked at him in horror. ‘That would look atrocious’

‘Jeez’

‘I’m serious’

Cole snorted with laughter, taking a sip of his drink, dark hair spilling over his eyes as he leaned to grab his phone. Vania giggled. ‘Is this about Geo again?’

Cole rolled his eyes. ‘No,’ he replied defensively. ‘I just think it’d look cool.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Just text him, Cole.’

‘Now?’ He stared at her, ‘I just met him’

She laughed, resting her eyes on the shining grey tiles of the ceiling. ‘You called me when we first met.’

He shrugged. ‘That’s different. You’re… you.’

She pushed him, ‘Oh, please.’

They were sitting on the floor of Skylor’s bathroom; Vania’s legs sprawled over Cole’s. Some guy had spilt his beer on her dress, so Cole had dragged her to the restroom to try and wash it out before she committed a federal offence. But, as usual, they had gotten way too deep into a gossip session and quickly forgot what they were doing there in the first place.

‘I don’t even know if he’s actually into guys.’

Vania groaned. ‘I know I’ve not proven myself to be very good at this so far,’ she replied, ‘but seriously? That guy? The earring?’

Cole stared at her, deadpan. ‘Straight guys can have earrings, Vania.’

‘Yeah, but there’s a difference’

He sighed. ‘I’m sorry, but your gaydar has been historically challenged – I think I might need to believe the opposite of whatever you say’

She pulled a face, ‘Hey, no fair,’ she complained, ‘It was one time.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Tox? Chamille? Me?’

She kicked him. ‘Oh, come on!’ she exclaimed, ‘How the hell was I meant to guess you?’

He cackled, shoving her legs off him and jerkily rising to his feet.

She lowered her voice dramatically. ‘Hi, I’m Cole.' She extended her arm in a formal handshake, ‘I like playing hockey, working out and my bros. I’m also going to act like I’m asking you out on a date every time I ask you to hang out with me,’ she mimicked. ‘Also, by the way, I’m gay – and you should’ve just known that.’

‘Oh, fuck you,’ he muttered. ‘Does that count as a hate crime? Have I just been hate-crimed for the first time?’

She snorted with laughter, using his arm as a prop to keep herself upright. ‘You know, we could ask Tox and Chamille what they think about Geo,’ she offered. ‘I think I know where they are.’

Cole looked at her in confusion. ‘Why would they know anything about him?’ he asked, peeking out the door to see if anyone was out there.

She shrugged. Truly, she just hadn’t seen them in a while and wanted to catch up. But… she also wanted to know how Elena had gotten her number. And why she hadn’t replied to her.

‘Well, they are super perceptive,’ she told him matter-of-factly. He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. ‘Sure, I do need to try and make things less weird with Tox anyway.’

They walked down the staircase, light on their feet. Skylor had somehow planned the party on a day when the noodle house was closed, meaning they had the entirety of the building to themselves. Although all the equipment and food had been locked away. (Rightfully so, after what happened to Harumi’s TV.)

‘You know,’ Vania mused, catching a glimpse of herself in the window's reflection. ‘I don’t think I’ve seen Rumi all evening,’

She’d worn a flowy golden dress that clung to her limply – along with a small white cardigan that itched at her skin slightly. The stain had started to dry, and was barely visible – thank fuck. Her long blonde hair was shiny and straight, catching the light as it flowed down her back. Cole was dressed in his usual jeans and unzipped hoodie, some 80’s band t-shirt underneath. He looked happy. A permanent grin on his face, almost glowing.

‘I don’t think I’ve seen Kai either.’ He replied in amusement. ‘Are we... free?’

She almost choked with laughter. ‘I like her, Cole,’ she scolded him, ‘she’s my friend.’

It was true. Harumi’s slightly unnerving but fiercely protective nature had her positively charmed. 

He narrowed his eyes. ‘And I will never understand how.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Whatever,’ she paused outside a room. ‘I think I saw them go in there a while back’

Vania stumbled slightly as she attempted to open the door, and Cole grabbed her with a cackle. The door swung open, and they practically fell into the room. Chamille sat up quickly, eyes wide. ‘What the-’ she began, before she rested her eyes on them. ‘Vania!’ she squealed. Vania grinned. ‘Hey!’ and let herself be pulled into a clumsy hug as Chamille quickly pounced on her. Her perfume was syrupy sweet, and her purple hair looked even more vibrant than usual. Tox stayed sat on the bed, her smile a little sheepish. Cole looked around the room. ‘Were you guys-’

Tox shook her head with a laugh. ‘It’s cool,’ she said, patting the bed beside her. ‘Get over here, you.’

Cole snorted. Vania grinned as she flopped herself onto the bed, her hair creating a fan on the sheets. Chamille sat behind her and began to braid her hair, her fingers moving lightly. ‘So. What’s up with you guys?’ she asked. Cole sighed, finally letting Tox drag him onto the bed beside her. ‘Everything,’ he muttered as he swung a leg up, almost taking Vania out.

She squealed and swatted at him. ‘Watch the face!’

Tox rolled her eyes at Cole, and he fixed her with a sarcastic smile. ‘Always the case with you,’ she teased. ‘All hockey players are drama queens, apparently.’

Vania felt the warm buzz spread throughout her once more, as if her brain were humming. She felt her limbs melt into the mattress, painted fingertips curling. She smiled up at Chamille, who gave her a friendly shoulder squeeze. ‘You are the cutest,’ she cooed, still working on the tiny braid.

Cole shook his head, pushing Tox away. ‘And you’re the worst drama queen of them all,’ he remarked. Tox looked at him in mock offence. ‘Lies!’ she exclaimed. She had green sparkling eyeshadow smeared down her face, and a lipstick mark under her chin. ‘I think Kai might take that title.’

Cole laughed. ‘After the stunt he pulled today, I’ll give you that.’

Tox’s eyes widened ‘I know, right!?’ she replied. ‘I don’t know what he was thinking.’

Cole shrugged, eyes on the ceiling. ‘I have no idea.’ He said, ‘I’m just happy that Geo was okay.’

Vania suddenly rolled onto her front. ‘Speaking of,’ she said, a sly grin forming on her face.

Tox glanced at Chamille with a grin. ‘Yeah?’

Vania tilted her head towards Cole, who had gone entirely silent.

Chamille whipped her head between them before fixing her gaze on Cole. ‘Oh my gosh,’ she said. ‘You like him!’

He looked like he wanted to disappear into the cushions.

Tox tilted her head. ‘Huh? Who?’

Chamille clasped her hands over her mouth. ‘Geo!’ she told her, pointing her finger erratically. ‘Cole likes Geo!’

Vania stared at her in shock. ‘How do you just work things out like that?’ she asked, ‘You have some serious detective abilities.’

Chamille grinned smugly. ‘So… am I right?’

Tox looked at her, ‘Slow down. The captain of Highridge?’ she asked, staring pointedly at Cole. ‘You traitor!’

Cole rolled his eyes. ‘Come on. That feud is dead and buried,’

Tox narrowed her eyes, ‘for non-players, maybe.’

Vania giggled. ‘Cole has a boyfrienddd,’ she teased in a singsong voice.

He glared at her. ‘You are a child.’

Chamille grinned and joined in Vania’s chant, nudging her with her shoulder. Cole buried his head in his hands. ‘I hate you all,’ he muttered.

Tox cackled, tackling Chamille backwards into a messy hug.

Vania took a deep breath.

‘Cole has a…’    

He pushed her off the bed.

She doubled over with laughter, grasping the wood as she hauled herself back up. He chuckled, giving her a hand when she collapsed back down onto the floor in hysterics.

‘Boyfriend,’ she finished breathlessly.

Cole stared at her, deadpan. ‘Cole actually has a girlfriend, who is being an absolute dick right now,’ he said.

She pinched his cheek. ‘You love it.’

Tox burst into laughter. ‘He makes a good point.’

Vania giggled, running her fingers through her static hair. ‘You guys can back me up though – Geo, super gay right?’

Chamille snorted. ‘Oh, I know that for a fact.’

Vania nodded, turning to Cole. ‘See? I told you!’

He pursed his lips. ‘That’s seriously not enough.’

Chamille held out her hand. ‘No, I mean I do know for a fact, Elena is friends with him. He’s the sweetest.’

Vania’s expression shifted. ‘Elena?’ she asked, her voice faltering. ‘I didn’t know…’

Cole looked at her inquisitively. ‘Wait, Elena, the insane girl you’re friends with, V?’ he asked. Vania straightened her back, ‘Well, I wouldn’t say friends,’ she said icily.

‘Well – Elena and Geo have been friends for ages,’ Chamille continued. ‘When he came out, he got a ton of shit for it and she was super supportive of him – and vice versa.’

Vania clutched her chest. ‘That’s so cute’

Cole put a hand out. ‘I don’t know why we’re conspiring about this in the first place.’ He said, ‘I’m in the closet for a reason. I’m not about to throw away everything I got going here for some guy.’

Chamille snorted. ‘For the amount of time you’ve spent in there, you should at least know how to dress.’

Vania burst into laughter. Cole smiled mockingly. ‘Real nice, so original. Thanks, guys.’  

Tox shook her head with a chuckle and patted him on the back. ‘I get you, buddy,’ she assured him.

Chamille pouted. ‘Geo isn’t just some guy,’ she said, ‘He’s awesome. And if he likes you, you should go for it.’

Vania nodded enthusiastically. ‘Plus, he’s gorgeous’

Cole wrinkled his nose at her. ‘Whoa, chill.’

Chamille cackled, prodding him with her nails. ‘Text him,’ she ordered. Cole sighed, pulling out his phone. ‘Well, maybe-‘ he paused, his brows furrowing as he looked at the screen. ‘Why the hell do I have fifteen missed calls from Lloyd?’

Vania looked at his screen. ‘Jesus.’

He turned to her, ‘One sec.’ he said, getting up off the bed and walking over toward the doorway. He paced back and forth for a few moments. Chamille nudged her, ‘Don’t you just love your new hairstyle?’ She giggled, waving the plaited strand of hair in front of her face. Vania laughed, ‘Beautiful. I’ll never take it out.’

Cole turned back to them, looking a little stressed.

‘I gotta go,’ he said quickly, ‘I’m really sorry, V’

She got up, ‘What!? I thought we were gonna stay together!’ she complained. ‘What’s happened?’

He shook his head guiltily. ‘No time,’ he replied, edging out the door, ‘I’ll call you later, okay?’

She stared after him, exasperated. ‘You promised!’

‘I said “sure”’

She wished she had something to throw at him. ‘Jerk.’

She dramatically spun back around to face Tox and Chamille with a sigh. ‘I knew this was gonna happen,’ she said.

Tox smiled sympathetically. ‘I’m sure he’ll be back,’ she said. Chamille nodded, ‘You can just hang out with us until he does.’ She offered. Vania grinned, ‘Thanks.’

As time passed, the room began to melt into a blur of colour and the low hum of voices rose from under the floorboards. Vania lay on her front, messing with a loose bracelet on her wrist.

‘Candy over chocolate? Are you insane?’

‘Come on, I tell you this every year, and you still get me chocolates every Valentine’s Day’

Tox scoffed. ‘You do not. I have never had a complaint before.’

Chamille tilted her head, ‘From who? Your other girlfriend?’ she teased.

‘Fuck. Off.’

Vania shifted, her mind feeling a little dulled. She considered going out for some air, but she hated the idea of being alone somewhere this busy. She could feel the thud of the speakers alongside her own heartbeat. Tiredness swept over her, and she almost considered sleeping right there – but maybe that wasn’t the coolest thing to do at a party. 

She suddenly felt a little bolder, turning to face Tox and Chamille once more. 'Did one of you two give Elena my number?' she asked, not accusatory, not entirely uncaring. 

Tox and Chamille froze, exchanging a glance. 'I-' Chamille faltered. 'Yes. I'm sorry, Vania,' she rushed out. 'She wouldn't stop pestering me about it!'

Tox looked sheepish. 'She can be quite persuasive.' 

Vania stared at them in disbelief. 'She wouldn't stop pestering you? I texted her back, and she never replied.' 

Chamille pulled a sour face. 'Are you serious? That girl, I swear.' Tox shook her head. 'She cannot be serious. I told her this mysterious thing she has going on is only going to make people find her irritating.' 

Vania flopped her head back down. 'Well, I don't care either way,' she stated, focusing on her nails. Chamille grinned, 'Well... I could let her know that ghosting a princess is a classified crime' she said, 'If you want her to reply, so you can... yell at her over text or something.' 

Vania giggled. 'A classified crime?' she asked. 

Chamille winked. 'She'll believe it, I'm telling you. She's all looks, no brains.' 

Tox cackled. 'I'm telling her you said that.' 

Chamille shrieked. 'Don't you dare!' she pounced on Tox, wrestling her off the bed. Tox grabbed her arm, yanking her down with her.

Vania held back a smile, still lying on her back as the sound of the speakers drowned out Chamille's cries.

Then-

‘Vaniaaa??’

Vania suddenly lifted her head again. She couldn’t tell if she was hallucinating. The voice was lazy, slurred, muffled by the walls and shouting. ‘Is someone calling my name?’ she thought out loud in her hazy confusion.

‘Vania!’ It was clearer this time, sharp. She scrambled up. ‘Skylor?’ she called back. There was a short silence, and Tox and Chamille finally broke out of their "fight" and both looked up from the floor. The door swung open, and Skylor peeked her head through. ‘There you are!’ she exclaimed happily. Harumi shoved her aside, ‘Vania! Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you!’

Vania’s face broke out into a grin. ‘Hey!’ she replied. ‘I had no idea where you were.’

They had been looking for her.

 Skylor smiled. ‘We’re just hanging out in my room,’ she said. ‘You should come’

Vania nodded, shooting Tox and Chamille a guilty look over her shoulder as she stood. ‘See you guys later,’ she said. Tox gave her a nod, and Chamille waved back limply. She glanced around the room quickly before turning towards the doorway.

Harumi slid an arm through hers and quickly whisked her away, Skylor at her side.

‘We’ve been in crisis,’ Skylor said, ‘I think someone broke the popcorn machine’

Harumi nodded. ‘I’ve been nonstop yelling at people; I think I’m losing my voice’

Vania giggled. ‘I was just with Cole, but he randomly disappeared a few minutes ago – you haven’t seen him, have you?’ she asked.

Skylor rolled her eyes. ‘Seriously? You need a new boyfriend ASAP.’

Harumi snorted. ‘She left him at my party. Maybe it’s payback?’

Vania laughed. ‘Come on, let the man have a little mystery. I’m not that bothered.’

Skylor looked beautiful as ever, in a flowy pale orange dress with a slit that showed off her long, toned legs. Harumi was dressed to kill, wearing a tight black dress that made her absolutely drop-dead. Her smoky black eyeshadow looked lethal with her almost white hair done up in an extravagant updo. Vania couldn’t comprehend how she even achieved these hairstyles.

They made it to the third floor, and Skylor quickly yanked them into her room, slamming the door. ‘We can’t let these losers find my room. It’ll be turned into another drug den before you can blink.'

Harumi giggled, sitting down on Skylor’s bed. ‘You can’t be serious. I’ve had to confiscate enough stuff already.’

Vania cackled. ‘Confiscate?’

Skylor laughed, pulling up a mirror and starting to reapply her mascara. ‘Rumi’s been stealing from people.’

Harumi gasped dramatically. ‘I have not! There are rules to this party!’ she exclaimed.

Skylor lobbed a sock at her face. ‘That you made up like twenty minutes ago!’

Harumi squealed, swatting it away. ‘My makeup!’

Vania helped her untangle it. ‘You seem like you’re enjoying this party more than the last one,’ she teased.

Harumi began to brush her hair. ‘Yes. Well, I’ve definitely had a little less to drink.’

Skylor pretended to pray. ‘I’ve never been more grateful.’

‘Shut it,’ she hissed, turning to Vania. ‘What were you doing hanging around Tox and Chamille?’ she asked. ‘Are you, like, friends with them now?’

Vania shrugged. ‘Cole’s friends with Tox. They seem nice.’

Harumi narrowed her eyes. ‘You know they’re like dating, right?’

Skylor snorted loudly. ‘Like you can talk.’

Harumi snapped her head to look at her. ‘What was that, Skylor?’ she asked.

Skylor rolled her eyes. ‘Whatever’

Vania shifted uncomfortably. ‘I was only with them ‘cause I couldn’t find you guys,’ she said.

Harumi sighed. ‘It’s cool, ’ she murmured. ‘I wasn’t trying to be controlling or anything.’

Skylor laughed dryly. ‘That’s a first.’

Harumi sat up suddenly. ‘Do you hate me or something?’ she snapped. Skylor stared at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but glanced over at Vania and shook her head. ‘Sure. I’d put up with you this long if I hated you’ she told her, voice flat.

Harumi didn’t reply, scoffing and turning her head away.

Vania laughed nervously.

‘I just can’t believe your dad let you have this whole place for tonight, Sky,’ she said, desperate to change the subject, ‘was he not worried about us trashing it?’

Skylor laughed. ‘Seriously. I do love my dad, but he’s a bit of a wild card.’

Harumi nodded. ‘It was cool of him. I wish my dad didn’t have a stick up his ass.’

Vania snorted. ‘Your parents seemed chill. Imagine my father coming back to me throwing a party at the palace.’

Harumi laughed. ‘True. I don’t think you’d be standing here right now.’

Vania’s laugh caught in her throat. ‘Yeah,’ she replied quietly.

Skylor squeezed her shoulder as she sat on the bed next to her. ‘Good thing we won’t have to deal with him for a while.’

Vania smiled up at her. ‘Definitely.’

‘So… Vania,’ Harumi smiled menacingly, turning to lie on her front, kicking her heels up. ‘How are things with you and Cole?’ she asked.

Vania faltered. ‘Me and Cole? Yeah, we’re great,’ she answered too quickly.

Oh god. She was so awful at lying to Harumi and Skylor. She was used to lying to her father, but the difference was that he was a mentally detached middle-aged man as opposed to two very nosy teenage girls.

Harumi grinned. ‘But like, what do you guys get up to?’

Skylor threw a pillow at her. ‘Stop asking the poor girl about her sex life!’ she complained. ‘She obviously likes to keep some things private, along with the rest of the world.’

‘Ughhh,’ Harumi complained, lamely throwing the pillow back. ‘But everything’s been so boring since you can Kai broke up.’

Vania stifled a laugh.

Harumi turned back to her, ignoring Skylor, who was threatening her with a powered-off curling iron. ‘Come onnn, I’m dying to know everything. You’ve been so mysterious.’

‘Sorry, Vania,’ Skylor giggled, dropping her weapon. ‘But I am a little curious’

This was getting worse by the second.

Vania closed her eyes and nodded slowly. She had to act before things spiralled out of control. 

‘Oh, we do so many things,’ she replied through her teeth, gesturing vaguely with her hand. ‘So many.’

‘Yeah?’ Harumi asked.

Vania blinked. She hadn't exactly prepared for this. 

‘Uh, well… cause like I’m a girl and he’s- he’s like a boy… ‘ she began.

Harumi stared at her, expression deadpan.

‘We, like, do things... that like- boys… and girls…’ Vania trailed off. She was clearly not helping her case.

Harumi pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘Are you seriously giving us the “when a man and a woman love each other very much” speech right now? the birds and the bees?'

Vania eyed the fire escape outside Skylor’s window. Was it too late?

‘Um.’

That was all she could muster in reply as Skylor put an arm around her, pulling her in and squeezing tight. ‘She’s shy, Rumi!’ she said, pushing Harumi away with her leg. ‘Don’t be mean.’

Harumi put her hands in the air. ‘I was not!’

‘What-ever’ Skylor responded, but a smile was on her face now.

Harumi huffed. ‘You’re all boring me. Let’s go make drinks.’

Skylor groaned. ‘Again? this better not go like last time.’

Harumi rolled her eyes. ‘Fine. I won’t drink them. I’ll give them out, because I am a kind and charitable person.’

‘You.’ Harumi pointed at Vania, who felt like a deer caught in the headlights. ‘Limes’

Vania hovered, a little awkwardly. ‘Uhh…’

‘In front of you?’ Harumi snapped, sighing exasperatedly.

Vania looked down. ‘Oh, right!’ she clasped her hands together. ‘So… what do I do?’

Harumi pointed at her with the large knife she was holding, and Vania started to feel like she needed to get good at making cocktails – quickly.

‘Pick up the knife.’ She said slowly, like she was talking to a toddler. ‘Cut the lime into slices.’

Skylor furrowed her brow. ‘Lay off her, Harumi,’ she scolded, ‘she’s trying her best.’

Harumi laughed dryly. ‘Sure. I guess it’s just princess etiquette to not know how to cut fruit.’

Skylor took the knife from her, their fingers brushing gently. ‘Ignore her, I’ll cut the fruit,’ she said, ‘You can shake the drinks.’

Vania smiled at her gratefully. She seemed to be unable to do anything under pressure. The kitchen counter smelled like chemicals and sugar. Her hands felt sticky.

Skylor grinned, pouring in the last shot. ‘Perfect,’ she closed the lid and passed the shaker to Vania. ‘Give it a shake, Princess of Limes,’ Vania snorted with laughter, picking up the metal shaker and giving a few violent shakes.

‘This girl has some unresolved anger issues,’ Harumi teased.

Skylor stifled a giggle. ‘Okay, gimme, I wanna try some,’ she said, gesturing her hand out. Vania passed it over to her, but somehow managed to also elbow a glass off the counter. The crystal shattered immediately, ricocheting off the floor in shards.

‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’ She rushed out, ‘I’ll pay for it’

Skylor shook her head. ‘Don’t sweat it. We’ve got a million of those,’ she told her.

Harumi rolled her eyes. ‘You’re lucky you’re pretty,’ she said.

Vania let out a small laugh. ‘Sorry,’ she repeated. Skylor smiled at her. ‘Seriously, it’s fine. I’ll start clearing up.'

Vania nodded, ‘I’ll help you, I-’

She froze. Cole stumbled through the door, eyes wide and flicking around in panic. He was alone, looking like he had accidentally walked into the room, hair ruffled, cheeks flushed.

‘Cole?’ she called him over; concern etched onto her face. ‘You okay?’

He stiffened, nodding curtly, eyeing Harumi and Skylor. Skylor stayed where she was, leaning against the counter, watching. Harumi laughed scathingly. ‘You look a mess,’ she said.

Cole ignored her, stepping closer to Vania. ‘We need to go,’ he urged quickly, his voice low. His jaw was tight.

Vania wiped her hands with a paper towel. ‘Okay, let me just-‘

Cole’s expression became stern. ‘Now, Vania.’

She looked at the broken glass desperately.

Harumi was still looking at Cole, her eyes gleaming. ‘You sure you’re good, Cole?’ she asked.

He didn’t reply, looking at Vania pleadingly. ‘Come on.’

‘Is this the girlfriend thing again?’ Harumi said, like it were some conversation they had regularly. ‘Look, I told you, I’m sure Vania’s okay with being the first girlfriend you’ve ever had at – what is it? – eighteen?’

Cole clenched his jaw. Vania picked up her bag. ‘I can’t just leave Skylor to clean this up!’

‘It’s cute.’ Harumi continued. ‘Even though you guys don’t actually seem to have a life outside of school.’

‘Can you just shut the fuck up for once?’ Cole snapped, whipping his head towards her. ‘There are plenty of things I could say about you, too.’

He seemed angry, genuinely angry. Vania shifted on her feet. She wasn’t used to seeing him like this.

Skylor’s eyes widened, ‘Go, Vania,’ she said, ‘Me and Harumi will clear up. Won't we, Rumi?’

‘Are you serious? Miss Clumsy destroys your kitchenware, and I’m the one who has to clear up?’ Harumi grumbled.

‘Serves you right,’ Skylor muttered to her before quickly pulling Vania into a hug. ‘Be safe, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she whispered.

Vania almost wanted to cry. Something felt off. ‘See you, Sky.’

Cole grabbed her hand without a word and headed straight for the door.

‘Cole?’ Vania asked incredulously, hurrying after him. ‘What is going on?’

He didn’t reply, just kept walking. She struggled to keep up with his long strides. ‘What happened?’

‘It’s fine.’ They broke out onto the moonlit street, and began their walk back. He dropped her hand.

She felt a little nauseous. ‘Okay,’ she told him finally. ‘I give up.’

He continued to walk, hoodie up, face drenched in shadow. Vania’s happy buzz was entirely dampened; she could feel the alcohol drain out of her by the second.

She tried again after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. ‘Where did Lloyd go?’ she asked cautiously. Cole shrugged, staring straight ahead blankly. ‘I don’t know.’

She fell back alongside him, their footsteps soft and even.

The walk began to feel as though it was stretching on forever, dark alleyways looming in front of them. Vania kicked a rock with her shoe. ‘Are we… almost there?’ she asked quietly. He nodded.

They turned the corner onto Cole’s block, and relief rushed through her. She released the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. The anxiety slowly relieved when she saw her car, parked out front, its white metal glistening in the light. She waved to her driver, who just folded his arms and looked away. God, she really had to get her license soon.

‘Bye, Vania,’ Cole muttered, giving her a dismissive wave. ‘See you at school.’

‘Bye…’ she trailed off, heart hammering. She must have done something wrong. There was no way she hadn’t. She desperately racked her brain, rethinking their every interaction.

She swung into the backseat. Her driver huffed. ‘I thought I said the curfew was ten thirty, young lady?’ he scolded.

She laughed lightly. ‘Out of the two of us, only one of us is going to be the queen,’ she reminded him sweetly. ‘Do you really think I’m going to listen to what you say?’

Chapter Text

‘Where are you? I’m on my way.’ Cole urged. He felt a flicker of guilt for leaving Vania like that, but this wasn’t something that he could ignore easily.   

‘I’m in the booth at the end of the restaurant floor. Kai and I are trying to find everyone so we can get out of here as soon as possible.’ Lloyd’s voice crackled on the other end of the phone, an eruption of shouts drowning his voice out.

‘Gotcha,’ Cole said, surveying his surroundings. He was fairly certain the staircase in front of him led to the first floor.

‘When you guys say “Morro’s here” do you mean physically? Mentally? …. Spiritually?'

‘Jay?’ Cole asked. ‘How are you in this call?’

‘Lloyd called the groupchat.’ Jay replied.

‘No I didn’t,’ Lloyd retorted. ‘I called Cole.’

‘Um… I’m pretty sure you did. I can’t just magically insert myself into a call.’

‘This really doesn’t matter’ Cole interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘Is there anyone else missing, Lloyd?’

There was a pause. ‘Just Nya. Zane is with me, and Kai left to find Jay.’

‘Nya’s right here,’ Jay said, ‘do you guys need to talk to her?’

‘No, just get down to the first floor right now,’

There was no reply, and Cole was forced to listen to a sequence of Jay trying to shove the phone at Nya and her telling him to ‘get lost,’ multiple times.

‘Come on, Jay, we’ve got to leave,’ Cole heard her scold him, ‘your survival instinct is abysmal.’

Cole hurried down the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He clutched the phone to his ear as he swung through the doorway – eyes scanning for Lloyd and Zane. The air was thick and smelled of sweat, alcohol, and lingering fried food. The lights cast vibrant streaks across the swarm of moving people, lighting faces up with streaks of colour. Cole could barely see anything.

‘Come on, guys,’ he muttered under his breath, eyes searching desperately. He weaved through the crowd, shoving past a couple making out in a booth, the girl squealing and kicking him in the leg as the guy rolled her over. Cole grimaced. He wouldn’t be able to unsee that for a while.

He was shoved sideways by a group of boys, laughing rambunctiously. ‘Chug! chug! Chug!’ some guy practically shrieked, as one of them tilted a pitcher. He veered to the side, trying to avoid the spray of foam.

‘Come on, Chad!’ the voice goaded.

Did Chad… exist?

Never mind, he had no time for this.

‘Lloyd?’ he tried.  Someone was standing on the surface of the bar, teetering dangerously close to the edge. How the hell was Skylor’s dad cool with this? It was a lawsuit waiting to happen.

‘Cole?’ Relief flooded over him at the sound of Lloyd’s voice. ‘Over here!’

He spun around to see Lloyd waving him over – blond hair ruffled, jersey sleeve torn. Zane sat beside him, studying the table intently. ‘Thank god you’re here,’ Lloyd said. ‘Kai went off to find Jay, but he hasn’t come back. Nya and Jay are on their way and haven’t seen him either.’

‘Oh god.’ Cole said, ‘They’ve got him. He’s been possessed.’

‘Okay, let's dial it back a bit. I’m sure he’s just in the restroom or something.’ Lloyd said.

Cole furrowed his brow. ‘When he comes back all green and weird, you won’t be saying that.’

Lloyd shuddered. ‘Don’t remind me.’

Zane stared at him. ‘You’ve… been possessed?’ he asked, incredulous.

Lloyd groaned. ‘Morro thought that if he inhabited my body before a math test, he could access my thoughts and ace it,’ he explained, putting his face in his hands. ‘Obviously, it didn’t work. I got disqualified from all exams for ‘anti-social’ behaviour, and I had to get my father involved to get me out of it.’  

Cole snorted. ‘Yeah, I remember that. Hilarious.’

Zane cracked a smile. ‘That is quite funny.’

Lloyd glared at them both.

‘Where is everyone?’ Cole complained, anxiety creeping into his voice.

Zane closed his eyes. ‘I believe that Jay and Nya are almost here. Kai, though… I have no idea.’

Cole groaned. ‘Seriously?’

As if on cue, Nya and Jay came crashing through the crowd, gripping each other's hands – cheeks flushed, hair plastered with sweat. ‘Okay. We’re here’ Nya said breathlessly. ‘Can we leave?’

Cole grinned at Jay. ‘Been having fun?’ he asked. Jay smirked. ‘You know it.’

Nya looked at him in irritation. ‘He was helping me with my homework, actually’

Jay shot her a look of – you can stop talking now – but she only smiled back sweetly.

Lloyd was clearly holding back a laugh. ‘Huh?’

Cole cackled. ‘Wow. Homework at a party. That’s a new low, even for you, Jay.’

Jay kicked him. ‘Hey! If your girl had a physics paper due tonight, I know you’d show up for her too.’

Nya rolled her eyes. ‘Not “your girl,” and you weren’t even helpful. More of a hindrance.’

Jay ignored her, ‘If anything, it just shows how perfect we are for each other.’

Nya groaned.

Lloyd’s eyes flicked between them. ‘What does Kai make of this “thing” you guys got going on?’

Nya looked at Jay. ‘Not a “thing.” We aren’t even friends.’ She stepped away from him to emphasise her point, her smile betraying her.

Jay smiled wistfully. ‘He’ll come around, I know it. I think he can sense that Nya and I are soulmates at heart.’

‘Gross,’ she muttered.

‘Kai’s still not here.’ Lloyd looked at his watch. ‘I think it’s time we come up with a new plan. We can’t just leave him here.’

Cole thought for a moment. ‘What if we leave through the back exit?’ he said, ‘We can grab Kai on the way – if he’s in one of the rooms.’

Zane nodded. ‘That does sound reasonable,’ he agreed.

‘Okay,’ Lloyd said curtly, glancing at the group. 'Is everyone cool with that?'  he asked. There was a murmur of agreement, and he nodded. 'Let's go.' he said, tilting his head towards the exit. 'This way.'

‘If I calculate all the variables, this plan has around a… forty percent change of going well,’ Zane added happily.

Jay kicked him. ‘Shut. Up.’

‘KAI!?’ Jay yelled. ‘Where are you, airhead!?’

Lloyd grabbed him, ‘Shh-’ he snapped, ‘We have to keep a low profile. Do you want Morro to find out we're here?’

Jay rolled his eyes. ‘How do you plan on finding Kai if we’re whispering?’

Cole eased a door open, Nya hovering anxiously at his shoulder. ‘He’s still not answering his phone,’ she murmured. ‘It’ll be fine.’ Cole assured her, ‘He can’t have gone far, it’s one building.’

They peered through the crack in the door; the room was dark – empty. Nya sighed.

Lloyd was still patiently explaining to Jay why shouting was a terrible idea when Cole spotted a blur of movement: a figure walking into a room ahead of them, closing the door behind them.

He and Nya exchanged a glance. ‘This way,’ he whispered, motioning to the others.

Jay nodded, limping slightly as he followed. Cole shot him a look of confusion. ‘I think I broke my foot when I kicked Zane,’ he explained in a loud whisper. Nya snorted with laughter, quickly covering her mouth.

The hallway stretched out in front of them – dimly lit, each door too identical. The music from the floor below them was muffled, reduced to a sickly thud.

 Lloyd yanked the door open and peered through. The only people in the room were a barely conscious couple lying sprawled at each other’s side, clearly oblivious to their presence. Nya sighed. ‘Next one,’ she muttered.

Cole fell behind the rest of the group, dragging his hands down his face in frustration. He couldn’t think straight. He was too drunk for this. Vania’s fault.

Zane opened another door, a look of boredom on his face. Beside him, Nya’s eyes widened. ‘There you are!’ She burst out, shoving Lloyd aside. Cole felt a wave of relief wash over him, and he rushed to catch up with them.

Kai suddenly sat up in his chair. ‘You asshole,’ Nya hissed, barrelling into him for a hug. He was jolted backwards, but caught her instinctively, steadying them both. He shot Cole a look of amusement.

Lloyd sighed with relief. ‘Thank god we found you,’ he said breathlessly.

‘Why are you all acting like I died?’ Kai said. ‘My phone just died, I was gonna come find you guys’

Jay rolled his eyes. ‘Idiot.’

Lloyd glanced out of the hallway. ‘Come on, we’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get out of here.’

Kai yawned. ‘Sure.’

Cole pulled out his phone, suddenly remembering something. ‘Hold on. I’m meant to be going back with Vania. Her car’s at my place.’ He told them.

Lloyd glared at him. ‘You couldn’t have mentioned that before?’ he asked through gritted teeth.

Kai held out a hand. ‘Don’t worry about it. There’s a shortcut back to the main entrance – we’ll pick her up on the way.’

Zane eyed him suspiciously. ‘Are you sure?’ he questioned.

Kai nodded. ‘I’ve been here loads. Skylor once made me sneak out that way – totally legit’

Cole’s stomach twisted. ‘What are we waiting around for, then?’ he asked.

Kai tilted his head. ‘Follow me.’

He took them to another door at the back of the room. It was dark and barely noticeable in the light. Kai rattled with the handle for a moment before yanking it open wide, giving them a smug grin. ‘See? Just through here and-‘

He stopped abruptly.

Cole’s blood ran cold.

No way. There was no way they were this stupid.

The room in front of them was hazy, dim, tinged with green and thick with the smell of something definitely illegal. The glow of the TV illuminated the room, casting shadows onto every empty can and wrapper scattered on the floor.

Morro.

He was sitting on the floor, eyes half-lidded with boredom. His friends were scattered around the room in varying states of disarray, Wrayth dangling upside down in an armchair – laughing uproariously at something on the screen.

For a heartbeat, the group in the doorway just stood, frozen. Staring.

Lloyd was pale. ‘Back away,’ he ordered them, voice tight, barely audible. ‘Slowly’

As soon as they began to edge backwards, a floorboard creaked underneath Jay’s foot. He cursed under his breath.

‘Wait.’

Cole winced. Morro’s eyes flicked up from his controller, locking directly onto them.

Fuck.

Silence rang through the room, before he began to snicker. ‘You guys aren’t the ones Bansha’s been whining about, are you?’ he asked in his unnerving, reedy voice.

Lloyd and Kai glanced at each other. ‘Uhh.’

Wrayth also started to laugh. ‘What is it this time? Someone steal her pencil?’ he sneered.

Dozens of glowing green eyes were staring at them now, and Cole could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His throat felt dry.

Morro tilted his head back, exhaling smoke. He was gaunt, slender – his stringy black hair, streaked with green, hung around his shoulders.  

Cole fought back the urge to run.

Nya glanced around frantically. ‘Look, please-

‘No need to start getting hysterical,’ Morro cut in, grinning coldly. ‘I don’t want anything with you.’

Lloyd furrowed his eyebrows. ‘Huh?’ Cole blurted.

Morro sighed, eyes fixed on the TV. ‘I know we’ve been “threatening” you or whatever.’ He stopped talking for a moment, thumb flicking lazily over the controller. He seemed unbothered. And stoned. ‘That’s only ‘cause I told her I’d “handle it.” She’s not really someone you want to piss off.’

Kai looked like he was on the edge of butting in and saying something reckless and damaging, but Cole elbowed him in the ribs before he could speak.

Morro shook his head. ‘But… you don’t even seem worth it. I’ve been trying to go straight after juvie, anyway.’

Ghoultar chuckled. ‘I thought it was because you "didn't want to fight the hockey players".’ 

Morro threw an empty bottle at him. It went straight through him, shattering against the wall in shards. 

Wrayth cut in. ‘It’s been impossible to stay out of trouble with her constantly dragging us back into drama. We aren’t her henchmen.’

A victory sound chimed from the game. 

Cole glanced at his friends in complete bewilderment. Everyone was completely still, at a loss for words.

Morro waved a hand lazily, fixing his eyes back on the TV. ‘Anyway. You can go. Just don’t mention this to her, okay? Act traumatised or something.’ He told them, his voice muffled by the sound of gunfire crackling from the TV. Ghoultar laughed. ‘Traumatised?’ he echoed mockingly.

Lloyd nodded slowly.

Wrayth cackled. ‘I don’t know what Bansha’s even thinking, getting in all these stupid arguments,’ he said to Morro. ‘The moment someone finds out they can just throw water at us, we’re gone.

Morro slowly turned to look at him. ‘Are you fucking serious!?’ he hissed. ‘Don’t say that in front of them!’

Jay snorted. ‘Water!?’ he blurted out. ‘This whole time, water was the thing that hurts you guys?’

Every ghost in the room turned their glowing eyes on him.

Ghoultar furrowed his brows. ‘What? It burns. You wouldn’t like it if I set you on fire’

Lloyd laughed nervously, looking at Jay like he wanted to strangle him. ‘Shut up,’ he muttered through clenched teeth, yanking him backwards.

‘Ignore him,’ he mumbled, ‘You don’t have to worry about us telling anyone. It’s not our business.’

Morro shook his head, glaring at Wrayth. ‘Unbelievable,’ he muttered, ‘you’re going to be the one dealing with Bansha if any of this gets back to her’

Wrayth sputtered. ‘What!? That’s not fair-’ he protested.

Morro’s gaze snapped back to them. ‘And you-’ he began, ‘you better forget you heard that. Or I swear, I’ll make you wish that Bansha was your biggest problem.’

Jay swallowed. ‘Uh huh.’

Kai had been oddly quiet this whole time, and Cole turned to look at him. He was still, stone-faced, eyes darting around the room.

Lloyd breathed out. ‘Got it,’ he said, motioning to the others. ‘Let's get out of here.’ He murmured under his breath.

‘Bye, Morro.’

Morro grinned, wide and unsettling. ‘See you, Lloyd.’  

The moment the room was behind them, they broke into a near-run down the hallway. The thudding bass of the party returned, but it did nothing to drown out the sound of the ghost’s cackling laughter echoing after them.

They reached the main floor, spilling through the doors, and the wave of sound and light washed over Cole. His legs felt weak. Nya’s eyes were wide, and she let out an almost hysterical laugh.  

For a moment, they just stood there – staring at each other incredulously.

‘Holy shit.’ Jay burst out, ‘We’re alive. Like actually alive.’

Nya shoved him, a grin breaking out on her face. ‘No thanks to you!’ she exclaimed.

Jay threw his hands in the air. ‘How was I not meant to react like that? Water!? Come on, it’s ridiculous!’

Lloyd shook his head. ‘You are insane.’ He muttered, but his voice cracked, and suddenly he was laughing too.

Cole joined in, his laugh coming out strangled. ‘I can’t believe that happened.’

Zane grinned. ‘That outcome was statistically improbable,’ he agreed.

Kai shook his head, still looking a little shaken. ‘Thank god we managed to run into him when he was high as fuck,’ he muttered. ‘He might not have been so forgiving’

That set them off again, and Nya had to grab onto Jay to steady herself. Lloyd was practically doubled over. ‘I’m gonna go get some drinks,’ Jay said eagerly, ‘stay here.’ They nodded, thanking him. Honestly, Cole would welcome more alcohol after this.

‘Oh my god.’ Nya gasped, wiping her eyes. ‘I’m so glad that it's over. Sorry for dragging us into it in the first place.’ Lloyd smiled at her. ‘You were only sticking up for Cole,’ he replied, ‘It’s cool.’ She gave him a grateful look, and Cole nodded quickly. ‘You did nothing wrong.’

Jay grinned, returning and handing Cole a red solo cup.

Lloyd suddenly snorted. 'I can't believe we set up that whole club for nothing,' he said. Jay grinned lopsidedly. 'Well... it doesn't have to be for nothing,' he said, and Nya side-eyed him. 'How?' she asked. 

He shrugged. 'I mean, we went to all the trouble. We could open it up to the other grades. Could be fun.' 

Lloyd looked at him, contemplating. 'I mean, it could be good for my college application.' 

Zane cut in. 'I'm the founder, though,' he said quickly. 'I need to be the founder.'

Jay rolled his eyes. 'I mean, technically I'm the founder - but it's all for you, buddy.'

He batted his eyelashes at Zane, who stared at him blankly.

Cole nodded. 'I'm down for keeping the club,' he said, surprising himself. He still had little interest in the boring stuff like meditation, but... he was starting to like the people it involved. 

Kai sighed. 'Fine,' he relented, 'We'll keep the stupid club.'

Nya grinned, nodding. 'Agreed.'

Jay clapped his hands together excitedly, bouncing on his heels. 'Awesome.' 

‘And now - we finally get to party!’ he exclaimed, grabbing Nya’s hand and twirling her around. She giggled, rolling her eyes. She waved goodbye to them as she let him lead her away and into the crowd. Cole grinned as he watched them disappear, before looking back to Lloyd - who was clearly beginning to relax.

He closed his eyes. ‘I’m honestly just glad I haven’t run into Harumi,’ he joked, grinning.

Cole snorted with laughter. ‘That’s what I was saying!’

Kai wasn’t listening. His eyes were fixed on the doorway. ‘I’m, uh, going to go and get some air,’ he said, slipping away before they could say anything. Lloyd sighed, eyes following him until he disappeared.

Cole fidgeted with his sleeve. ‘Should we join Nya and Jay?’ he asked, his voice unsteady.

Lloyd put a hand on his shoulder, tilting his head to the door. ‘Go after him,’ he said, ‘I’ll be fine.’

Cole hesitated, then nodded. ‘I’ll be back in a second.’

He found Kai sitting on the staircase, the sound of voices and music tinny as they echoed in the empty, narrow space.

‘Something up?’ Cole asked, leaning on the railing.

Kai looked away. ‘No,’ he replied shortly.

Cole rolled his eyes, sitting beside him on the stairs. ‘Come on,’ he pressed, nudging his shoulder. ‘I can always tell.’

Kai scoffed. ‘You’re the worst’

Cole grinned. ‘You love me.’

When Kai’s only answer was an annoyed huff, Cole decided he needed a shift in tactics.

‘You know, I still can’t get over you scoring the winning goal earlier,’ he said. ‘You can’t be sitting here sulking after playing like that.’

Sometimes, the only way to break through to Kai was to stroke his ego a little. He was predictable in that way.

Kai almost smiled. ‘Yeah?’

Cole shook his head, laughing. ‘It was insane. We would’ve definitely lost if you didn’t pull it through like that. I mean, two goals? You were the best player on the ice.’

Kai sighed. ‘I wish Coach would focus on that, instead of the… other thing’

Cole cackled. ‘The other thing? You mean you absolutely going for Geo’s neck?’

Kai let out a dry laugh. ‘Yeah, sure.’

Cole shook his head, looking down at his feet. The alcohol running through his veins felt almost dangerous. ‘It was insane. I’ve never seen you go for someone like that.’

Kai sneered. ‘Poor guy.’

Cole pushed him, lightly. ‘What the hell is your problem?’

Kai rolled his eyes. ‘Him. He’s not even a good captain. I don’t get why you all act like he’s God’s gift to earth.’

Cole scoffed. ‘All of us?’ he asked, voice teasing. Kai avoided his eyes. ‘God, fine!’ he burst out. ‘You, okay? I don’t like that you were talking to him.’

Cole scanned his face. ‘I don’t understand you,’ he answered truthfully, taking another swig of his drink, his fingers drumming on the stairs.

Kai sighed. ‘So do you?’ he asked. Cole tilted his head in confusion.

‘Like him?’  

Cole shrugged, feeling a little too brave. Reckless. ‘I’m not sure,’ he answered. ‘Maybe,’ He could almost feel the anxiety start to catch up to him, clawing its way up his throat.

Kai took a breath out through gritted teeth, his jaw tight. ‘Whatever.’

Cole gave him a look, half-amused, half-incredulous. ‘Are you… Jealous?’ he asked playfully. Kai ignored him, still refusing to meet his eyes.

The avoidance of Vania’s name – like she didn’t even exist – made Cole suddenly question if Kai had ever even believed him. The flickering lights of the empty stairwell seemed to urge Cole to confront reality after all the pretending.

Kai fidgeted with his sleeve. ‘So what if I am?’ he muttered, his voice low and defensive.

Oh.

Cole’s face shifted. He hadn’t meant it. Not seriously. But Kai was silent, head turned away, eyes on his shoes.

 ‘I, uh…’ Cole stuttered, trailing off as Kai finally looked up at him – eyes wide, pupils dilated. They slowly flicked across his face, a little unsure.

Cole’s heart hammered. The room seemed to tilt on its axis slightly.

The moment stretched on. The air felt static, humming. Alive.

He wasn’t sure how it happened. He tilted his head, and Kai leaned in a little – closing the space between them. And then they were kissing. Their mouths clashed together. It was messy, heated and Cole immediately got lost in the sensation. The feeling of adrenaline shooting through his veins was like white-hot sparks. He got the strange sensation that he was on fire, skin fizzing and burning with a warmth that hissed. Kai gripped the back of his neck and pulled him in closer. The kiss deepened, their lips moving feverishly. Cole’s mind was blank, like this moment was the only thing that existed. Finally, Kai broke away – their foreheads resting against each other as he tried to catch his breath.

Cole’s heart smacked against his ribs, the taste of beer lingering on his lips. It felt as though reality was fracturing. Kai suddenly pulled back - eyes wide. He looked around the hallway, eyes full of panic. He quickly rose to his feet. Cole couldn’t speak. Kai retreated further away, clutching his cup so hard it began to crumple.

‘I shouldn’t – I have to go,’ he stumbled over his words, shaking his head. ‘I’m sorry.’

Cole couldn’t tell if he was apologising for the kiss or his leaving. ‘Don’t do this,’ he pleaded. Kai quickly turned, his eyes darting across the empty stairwell for the last time.

‘Kai.’ Cole tried again, his voice heavier.

He didn’t listen, disappearing into the other room, the slam of the door echoing.

Cole couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.

His breaths were short, fractured, his chest tight. This can’t be happening to me.

How had he been so idiotic?

He rose to his feet quickly, pacing back and forth a few times, his movement jagged and unnatural, before freezing in place, his mind reeling, spinning out of his control.

How had he let this happen?

It was clearly just more of Kai’s stupid drunk shit. That was all.

This is why he didn’t drink at parties.

Oh god.

He was going to tell people. He was going to tell everyone. It was over.

His life was over.

Kai would twist it. Spin it. Make it all Cole’s fault – It was all his fault – he knew it. He knew exactly what was going to happen.

‘Fuck.’ Cole muttered, out loud, his voice raw ‘Fuck. Fuck!’

He put his head in his hands. Panic surged through him, his heartbeat erratic, his lungs barely functioning.

It was ruined. Everything was ruined.

Nausea pooled in his stomach.

He could hear voices in the other room. Familiar voices.

He grimaced, doing everything he could to push it all away. He needed silence. He moved back towards the party, his legs taking him to the kitchen. Vania. He needed to find Vania.

His mind felt numb. His vision was blurred.

The door in front of him seemed to double. He fumbled with the handle, feeling completely out of control.

There she was. Laughing with her friends, blonde hair shining in the light. He wanted to talk to her. To tell her everything right there.

But, he couldn’t. 

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to. God, everything felt wrong, twisted. He needed to go home.

They locked eyes as he stumbled into the kitchen. All he could think about was Kai. Kai’s eyes, Kai’s lips, Kai’s hands, Kai leaving-

‘Cole?’

He walked over to her, unsteady on his feet.

We need to go. The words felt strange on his lips. Like he wasn’t the one talking.

She was speaking to him, but he could barely make out what she was saying. He urged her, she resisted. She was confused, worried. Asking questions. Couldn’t she see how much he needed her to listen? He needed her to understand. Harumi’s sharp voice cut through, sharp – mocking. He couldn’t. Not right now. He felt too scattered, torn apart.

He snapped.

‘Can you just shut the fuck up for once?’

Harumi reeled back, eyes alight.

Vania followed him. He took her hand, and they walked out onto the street. It was dark – the only light from the faint glow of the streetlights.

He could feel the ghost of Kai’s fingertips on the back of his neck. Still hear the slam of the door.

She continued to question him, but her voice was muffled to him. Distant. He could barely think.

Eventually, they fell into silence.

His head swam. He felt dizzy, too hot, too cold.

He gave her a weak goodbye, turning into his drive. He needed to sleep. And never wake up. He kept replaying the moment over and over. The moment Kai looked at him, his eyes wide. Filled with Panic. With regret. Like he’d made a mistake.

Everyone was going to know. That Cole was a liar. A fraud. A freak.

How he was-

He wanted to cry.

He hated himself. He hated how he felt different – out of place. Like he was always on the edge of everyone else. Smiling and laughing like his insides didn’t feel rotten.

He opened the door, his house feeling emptier than usual. Cracked paint. Crooked frames. Pictures of smiles and family – all lifeless.

He barely had time to collect himself before-

‘Cole.’

Dread seeped in. He slowly turned to see his dad standing in the doorway. His face was stern, lit by the dull kitchen light. His eyes were red, and he looked off somehow.

‘Dad?’ Cole replied, voice broken.

Lou scoffed. ‘I cannot believe you. You really chose today to disappear all night?’ his voice was tinged with venom.

Cole let out a small, almost hysterical laugh. ‘What are you talking about?’ he asked, clutching the kitchen counter. ‘Let me go to bed, Dad.’

Lou’s face hardened. ‘I’m disappointed in you, Cole. I don’t appreciate this. And I don’t think she would either.’

Cole stared at him. ‘What are you talking about?’ he repeated. His legs felt like jelly underneath him.

Lou took in a sharp breath. ‘What am I talking about?’ he echoed in disbelief, his voice cracking. ‘It’s your mother’s birthday, Cole’

Cole felt even queasier.

Everything hit him at once.

‘No, I-’ He couldn’t speak.

He’d forgotten. He’d really forgotten.

Lou shook his head, his expression pure anger.  ‘I can’t believe you,’ he said. ‘It’s Lilly’s birthday. You’re out all day. Then, you get back late from some stupid party.’

Cole buried his face in his hands. ‘Dad. Please’ he said, ‘I didn’t know.’

Lou laughed coldly. ‘I can see that, yes.’

Cole felt a sudden spike of anger. ‘If you’d actually come to my game, we could’ve spent the day together like usual. You could’ve told me.’

Lou didn’t meet his eyes. ‘It’s up to me to remind you when your own mother’s birthday is?’

Cole felt a pang of fury and guilt twist inside him. Tears brimmed in his eyes. He didn't know what to say. 

‘Just leave me alone,’ he muttered. He felt ashamed. Childish.

Lou turned away. ‘I’ll be gone when you wake up.’

Cole collapsed onto his bed, his hands shaky as he turned his phone off. He couldn’t feel anything now. The chasm within him seemed to reopen, the aching feeling swallowing everything. He thought of his mom. Of Kai. Of Vania. What would Lilly think of him? Lying to everyone he loves?

What would she even think of who he was now? Was he even still the same person he was when she knew him?

She would still love him, he told himself. No matter what. He knew that. He had to believe that.

He cried.

For the first time in years, he let himself cry.

Chapter Text

‘You really think it’s okay?’ Vania asked. her hair was plastered to her forehead – her heart palpitating. She could barely feel her legs anymore.

Skylor twirled around. ‘Of course!’ she replied breathlessly, moving into formation. ‘It’s only a night. He’s probably just discovered a new protein powder or something. Guy stuff.’

‘Again!’ Aspheera yelled, her voice cracking through the air like a whip. ‘From the top. If I see one more lazy jump, I swear, I’ll set the hall on fire.’

‘One time, Kai went MIA on me because he locked himself in the shower. They aren’t smart, Vania,’ Skylor added.

Vania chewed on her lip. ‘Well…’

‘You are all disgraces!’ Aspheera continued from the bench, flicking through a magazine.

Harumi strutted up to them; eyes sharp, ponytail pulled back to the gods. ‘No, no,’ she muttered, placing her hands on Skylor’s hips. ‘You’re all wrong,’ she sighed, adjusting her stance. ‘It’s like this.’

Skylor rolled her eyes, clearly holding back a retort. When Harumi was in captain mode, it was better to leave things alone. The ponytail did scary things to her.

‘And it’s not been a night, Skylor,’ Harumi added, ‘Cole’s been ghost mode since Friday.’

Skylor stopped moving. ‘The whole weekend!?’ she said, concerned. ‘Girl. That’s not good.’

Vania buried her face in her hands. ‘I know. I thought I’d at least get to talk to him today at school, but he never showed up.’

Behind them, Euphrasia accidentally whacked Jordana in the face with her pompom.

‘Watch it!’ Jordana lunged forward, yanking her by the hair.

‘Jordana!’ Sora squealed, tackling her away. ‘She didn’t mean it!’

‘Ow!’ Euphrasia stumbled backwards, shooting her a dirty look. ‘You have a serious bitch problem.’

Aspheera blew her whistle so hard that Vania thought the windows might shatter. ‘Back into formation!’ she shrieked, ‘We don’t have time for catfights, you banshees.’

Jordana still looked ready to attack. Euphrasia slowly edged backwards, her friends pulling her away in concern.

‘Yeah, that’s what I thought,’ Jordana snapped smugly. Sora pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. 'Can you just be normal one time?'

Aspheera sighed wearily. ‘I miss teaching serpentine. Our kind is much more graceful. Less… flailing limbs.’

Harumi turned her nose up. ‘Okay, rude,’ she muttered.

Vania leant on her knees, desperately trying to catch her breath. ‘So… what do I do? He didn’t answer any of my messages.’

Skylor grimaced. ‘Oh god. How many did you send?’

Vania laughed nervously. ‘Just one. Or two.’

Harumi raised an eyebrow.

Vania hid her face, cringing. ‘Fine. Twelve.’

Harumi’s mouth fell open.

‘Okay. So not great.’ Skylor pursed her lips before nodding quickly. ‘But, it’s gonna be okay,’ she added.

Vania was slowly losing her mind. He’s just your friend, she tried to remind herself. It’s not as bad as they think it is.

But it only made things worse. He was her best friend. Somehow, that hurt even more.

Her best friend probably hated her. And she didn’t even know why.

Harumi’s eyes narrowed. ‘Was Cole acting weird before he found you?’ she asked.

Vania furrowed her brows. She thought for a moment. ‘No. He was actually really chill before we got separated,’ she replied. ‘Why?’

Harumi tilted her head. ‘Huh,’ was all she said.

Skylor looked at her suspiciously. ‘What are you saying?’ she prodded.

Harumi’s eyes snapped to Vania. ‘Nothing. It’s just… the signs are there.’

Vania stared at her, worried. ‘What signs?’ she pressed.

Harumi’s eyes gleamed. ‘You know. Something definitely happened between him leaving you and finding you again in the kitchen. Plus, he like attacked me for absolutely no reason.’

Skylor snorted. ‘No reason. Sure.’

Vania’s anxiety rose. ‘Harumi. Seriously. What do you mean?’

Harumi glanced around. ‘I don’t want to make you paranoid or anything. And you guys just got together.’

Vania clenched her jaw. ‘Harumi, I swear.’

‘What if he… hooked up with another girl at the party?’ She finally whispered. ‘It makes sense – the panic, the anger, the disappearing.’

Vania let out a small, slightly hysterical laugh.

Relief flooded through her. Of course, that’s what she meant. Nothing crazy.

Skylor stared at her. ‘Something funny?’

Vania shook her head, unable to conceal her smile. ‘Nope. Nothing. It’s just, Cole would never do that.’

Harumi looked sceptical. ‘Hmm.’

Skylor still looked worried. ‘I don’t know, Vania. She makes a good point. Why else would he be acting all sketchy?’

Vania almost giggled again. Cole would find this hilarious.

Well, normally he would.

‘Skylor! Harumi! Vania!’ Aspheera shouted, wildly moving her arms. ‘How many times do I have to repeat myself? ROUTINE!’

Harumi quickly stepped back, clearing her throat. ‘Yeah, stop gossiping, you two.’ She pointed an accusatory finger at them

Vania and Skylor exchanged an amused look.

Harumi sharply turned to the group, clapping twice. ‘Let’s go, girls! Five, six, seven—’

The music started up once more, and Vania begrudgingly raised her pompoms back in the air.

‘And then she has the audacity to tell me I’m the one off time?’ Skylor took an angry sip of her slushy. ‘Ridiculous. I wish she’d go back to snake yoga or whatever she used to coach.’

Vania grinned. ‘Agreed. That practice was brutal.’

She loved it when Skylor got into long-winded rants. Honestly, she just loved listening to her talk.

Skylor sighed. ‘Honestly. With the showcase coming up, I feel more stressed than the hockey players.’

Vania nodded. ‘I do feel a little out of my depth,’ she admitted.

Skylor smiled. ‘You’ll be fine. You’ve always got me and Rumi if you need help.’

Vania felt a rush of warmth. ‘I know.’

Skylor rummaged through her bag. ‘Granola bar?’ she asked. ‘I have extra’

Vania giggled. ‘Sure. Thanks.’

Skylor handed it over, brushing a strand of crimson hair out of her eyes as she looked wistfully out the window. They ended up in the cafeteria after being in desperate need of a post-practice snack and chill-out. It was late, and most students had left – so it was completely empty. The lunch lady had very generously donated them slushies before she left, and Vania could feel her pounding headache slowly subside.

‘Oh my god. I totally forgot.’ Skylor said, clutching her gym bag. ‘You are not ready for what I’m about to tell you.’

Vania blinked in surprise. ‘What?’ she asked, intrigued.

Skylor glanced around to make sure no one was listening. ‘Guess who asked to hang out on Saturday.’

Vania’s mouth hung open. ‘No.’

Skylor nodded slowly. ‘Uh-huh,’ she said. ‘That morning, he texted me “can we talk,” which apparently means “beg-me-take-him-back” in Kai language.’

Vania just stared, feeling a pang of something sharp in her chest. ‘You didn’t-’

Skylor snorted, cutting her off. ‘No, Vania. He wants the whole “serious relationship” thing. I’m not there. Plus, we were so toxic.’

Vania giggled. ‘That’s what happens when the two biggest players in the school start dating.’

Skylor clutched her heart in mock pain. ‘Ouch!’ she teased. ‘From you, of all people.’

Vania laughed. ‘Still... Odd. Maybe he’s changed his mind?’

Skylor nodded quickly. ‘It was. He was acting really weird. He was acting all intense and twitchy,’ she said. ‘It didn’t feel like he actually wanted to get back together; he was just desperate for me to just talk to him.’

Vania pulled a face. ‘Desperate? I can’t even imagine that.’

Skylor took another sip of her drink. ‘I just don’t get it. I know I ended it with him, but he did understand. Then he shows up at my door, acting like he’s on the run from the law, deciding we’re soulmates again.’

Vania frowned. This felt strange. Something about Cole’s absence, now this – it didn’t fit right in her head. She couldn’t quite place why.  

Skylor tilted her head, deep in thought. ‘It just felt like he wasn’t there for me. Like he was just trying to prove something,’ she paused. ‘I don’t know. I’m probably just overthinking it.’

Vania shook her head. ‘No. It’s seriously not like him. Something’s up.’

Skylor sighed. ‘Anyway. I told him I was done. I’m honestly tired of his bullshit. Like, I still care about him, I always will – but this is getting out of hand.’

Vania nodded. ‘It was the right thing to do,’ she agreed, but her mind was elsewhere.

You know. Something definitely happened between him leaving you and finding you again in the kitchen.

What if Harumi was on to something? Just… in a slightly different way. 

Vania perched on her windowsill, gazing out across the city. The lights blinked, tiny pin-pricks against the carpet of night. 

She checked her phone. Then turned it off, placing it face down. She picked it up again.

She sighed.

She gently scrolled through her camera roll, feeling a pang of sadness when she came across a candid photo of Cole, mid-laugh – swatting her away in annoyance. She felt nauseous. Surely, there had to be a reason. He wouldn’t just disappear off the face of the earth like this if he didn’t have a reason.

The screen glowed faintly in the dark room. She considered texting him again. Something casual like, ‘What are you up to?’

No, Vania. Seriously. Twelve is enough.

Her pulse rattled in her ear.

This is stupid. Just call him.

It was truly her last option. She needed answers. Even if the worst came true, she would prefer to know rather than suffocating in this silence.

If he didn’t answer, fine. At least she tried.

Before she had the chance to stop herself, she clicked the call button.

Oh god.

The dial tone rang. She stiffened, tapping her fingers nervously on the window pane. It rang once. Then twice. Three times.

It got to the fourth ring. She considered hanging up. Maybe he wouldn’t notice?

Then—

Silence.

A crackle on the other line.

Vania took a sharp breath in. ‘Cole?’

A pause.

‘Yeah?’ his voice was muffled, and he sounded like he was in the middle of chewing something.

Vania laughed, relief rushing through her. ‘I can’t believe it. You’re alive.’

Cole laughed softly. ‘Mm hm.’

Vania closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. ‘Are you… um, okay?’

There was another pause. ‘Yeah.’

His voice was unsteady. She didn’t believe him.

‘You didn’t answer any of my texts. I kinda... thought you were angry at me.’

More chewing from the other end of the phone. ‘Angry at you?’ he snorted. ‘Why would you think that?’

Vania wanted to cry. ‘I don’t know. You were all weird on Friday night. Then, you ignore me all weekend. Then, you don’t show up to school.’

Another pause. ‘Okay, yeah, I can see that now.’

She giggled. ‘So… you aren’t mad at me?’

She could almost see the exasperated shake of his head. ‘Vania. Why would I be mad at you? You haven’t done anything wrong.’

She sighed. ‘I don’t know. Harumi almost gave me a heart attack.’

‘Oh god. What was she saying?’ Cole asked.

Vania chuckled. ‘She’s convinced you “cheated on me” with another girl.’

Cole’s laughter rang through her ear. ‘That’s me. Ladies' man.’

Vania snorted with laughter, flopping down onto her bed.

Silence fell between them once more.

‘Cole,’ she began, a little more serious. ‘What happened at the party?’

He was quiet.

‘I... don’t want to talk about it. ‘

Vania sighed. ‘I’m here for you, you know that. No matter what.’

‘I know.’

She could hear his soft breathing on the other line. ‘Everything will be okay,’ she told him gently. ‘Whatever’s going on,’

There was a brief shuffling noise from the other end of the line.

‘Was anyone… saying anything about me? At school?’ Cole finally piped up.

Vania’s brows furrowed. Something about his tone made her feel uneasy. ‘What kind of things?’

‘I don’t know. General things.’

‘I don’t think so. Lloyd asked about you, but nothing out of the ordinary.’

‘Huh. Okay.’

She chewed on her lip. This was strange. Heavy.

‘I-uh have to go. Sorry, V. Love you.’

She nodded, a weak smile on her face, although he couldn’t see that.

‘See you, Cole,’ she whispered.

The line went dead.

She finally turned her phone off, leaving it on her nightstand. She threw the covers over her head, desperately trying to escape the chill. The palace felt even colder since her father left, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t chase it out. She even made Hailmar light a fire.

The anxiety gnawed at her. Sharp. Persistent.

Cole wasn’t angry with her. She knew that much.

But something was still wrong. And she was going to find out what.

Chapter Text

The message had been sitting there since yesterday.

Kai: We need to talk.

Cole hadn’t opened it. He didn’t need to.

He knew that he was going to say.

You ruined everything.                   

I’m not like that.

You’re a freak.

It was all a haze. Muddied by panic, by confusion. Cole only knew one thing: it was all his fault. This was what Kai did. He got bold, overconfident. He messed with Cole’s head. He made stupid jokes. But Cole always stood his ground. Stayed patient, stayed detached. He never let it get too far, never took it further.

Until that night.

Until he slipped.

He’d let his guard down. Too stuck in his head. In his own feelings.

Beep. Beep. BEEP.

Cole groaned, fighting back the urge to smash his alarm clock with his fist. He swore he had switched it off. He slammed his hand over it and pulled the covers back over his head, shutting his eyes in indignation. The sound of rain seemed to become louder. A storm was coming. 

Vania calling him last night had taken him by surprise. It was nice, though. Comforting. He felt a little better.

A little.

He turned over, staring out the window. It was still dark outside. All he could feel was the dull thud of his heartbeat.

He couldn’t go back to school. Couldn’t face him. The thought of it made his throat close up. The hallways. The noise. The eyes. Staring. Talking.

Although… if nobody knew yet, like Vania said – maybe Kai wouldn’t say anything? Cole couldn’t let himself believe that yet. It seemed too good to be true.

Maybe everyone already knew. Maybe they were laughing at him right now. Maybe Vania was just protecting him.

But… if Kai really hadn’t told anyone, what did that even mean?

Maybe Vania was right, and he wasn't as straight as Cole thought he was. It felt insane to even consider. But... who kisses their friends? The flirting, he could explain. But this? 

He shook his head, reluctantly rolling out of bed, and forced his legs to carry him towards the stairs. He stayed in his pyjamas, a tattered t-shirt that was two sizes too big, and shorts. His hair was a mess, his eyes hollow and puffy – he looked as bad as he felt.

Rain clung to the window pane, the dim greyness of outside seeping in through the kitchen window.

Cole was halfway through a bowl of cereal when the sound of the door handle rattling made him jump.

He wasn’t expecting his dad to walk in. But he did. Dropped his keys on the counter. Hung his jacket up silently. Adjusted his tie.

Cole shovelled another spoon of cereal into his mouth, looking away.

Lou turned the kettle on, then leaned against the counter. His slicked-back hair had started to fray, strands falling in front of his eyes.

The silence stretched on.

Then—

‘You’re still not going in?’

Cole studied his bowl. ‘No.’

Lou turned away from him, grabbing up a cup from the shelf. ‘You’ve missed two days.’

Cole let out a dry laugh. ‘Since when do you care?’

‘Cole.’

He didn’t reply.

‘Of course I care about you.’ Lou muttered.

‘You have a funny way of showing it.’

Lou sighed.

‘I apologise. I was too hard on you the other night. I only wish you’d show more respect to your mother.’

Cole stared. ‘I’d show more respect? And you’ve done nothing wrong, as usual?

'We don’t talk, Dad!’ he burst out. ‘Mom would hate us for it.’

Lou didn’t flinch. He was still, stirring his tea slowly. ‘I-’ he faltered, trailing off.

Cole buried his head in his hands. ‘I didn’t mean to forget,’ he said finally, ‘I feel awful about it.’ His voice cracked. ‘Life has just been… busy at the moment.’

Different. Everything was different.

Lou met his gaze. ‘I know, Cole.’

Cole nodded, feeling dangerously close to tears again.

Lou sat down, taking a sip of tea. ‘You don’t have to talk to me. But please, just talk to somebody.’

Cole’s jaw clenched. ‘I’m fine.’

‘No, you aren’t.’

Cole gritted his teeth. ‘You don’t know anything.’

Lou exhaled, rubbing his eyes. ‘You’re my son. I know when something’s wrong.’

Silence again.

‘If you need me,’ Lou said, setting his cup down. ‘I’ll be in my studio.’

Cole didn’t answer.

The day passed slowly. Cole hadn’t moved in hours.

He sank into the couch, staring unwaveringly into space. He watched the light slowly change through the colours leaking in from the overhead window. The grey light of the afternoon had turned into a muted hue of an orangey-purple. It cast a shimmery reflection onto the dark screen of the television. He didn’t even move to switch it on. He couldn’t focus.

Lou had left again around midday. Muttering something like, ‘they need me.’ What was he? Goddamn Batman?

Cole sighed. He stretched.

He still felt half-asleep. He considered making his seventh bowl of cereal, but decided against it when he realised he had to walk all the way to the kitchen.

His phone vibrated.

He shifted, snatching it up quickly. He scanned the message.

Vania: Missed you at school again :( wanna hang out tmrw?

He sighed.

He started to type. ‘I miss you too. Sure.’

He deleted it.

‘Sorry. I’m not feeling well. I’ll see you soon.’

He quickly hit the delete button. He started to type again.

‘Kai and I kissed at Skylor’s party, and now he hates me. Or I hate him. I don’t know. Oh, and I forgot my dead mom’s birthday’

Delete. Delete. Delete.

He threw his phone across the room. It hit the floor with a thwack.

He groaned.

It was dark out, now. Cole lay sprawled on his bed, limbs weak and useless. He could do nothing but listen to the rhythmic tick tick tick of the clock and the spattering of rain on the roof. The walls felt like they were closing in on him. The storm howled outside, the trees near his porch getting tangled in the heavy winds. The very foundation of the house seemed to sway beneath him.

He turned over, staring at the wall until the peeling pale yellow wallpaper began to blur. His stomach swirled, a feeling of apprehension curling within. He felt nauseous.

He finally decided to get up and get ready to go to sleep. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, rubbing his eyes wearily – but something made him jolt in surprise.

A knock on the door.

Firm. Urgent.

He was halfway to the door when he heard it – and for a moment, he just stood there. Frozen. The floorboards seemed to hum underneath him, the house

He sighed quietly, an exhalation of all his anxieties, before dragging himself down the stairs. He wanted to go back to bed, to let his covers swallow him, but the impatience of the knock echoed throughout the house. The floorboard squeaked underneath his feet. The darkness outside made the hall lights feel oppressive.

‘What did you forget, dad?’ he shouted dryly, pausing – one hand on the bannister.

There was a silence.

‘Dad?’ he called, less confident. His feet were soft on the wooden floor as he made his way towards the door, each step cautious.

He rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. He’d had just about enough of Lou for today.

For a second, he considered backing away. Was it really this important? He could leave the porch light on and let his dad ring the bell until he gave up. Instead, he wrestled with the doorknob for a few seconds. The old thing was always coming loose. ‘Hold on,’ he called. He sounded hoarse even to his own ears.  

He finally pulled it open. ‘You’ve gotta be quick, becau-’

He froze.

It wasn’t his dad.

‘Hi.’

Kai stood in the doorway, hair pressed to his forehead, hoodie soaked through. He was shivering, but clearly trying to act like he wasn’t cold. The storm outside rattled on, rain pounding onto the roof.

Cole stared. ‘Hi,’ he breathed.

'What are you doing here?'

Kai flicked a soaking wet strand of hair out of his eyes.

‘You didn’t reply to my message.’

He was just standing there, breathing in and out like he’d just run through the rain. His eyes were wide and raw, and he was fidgeting with the pocket of his jeans. He didn’t laugh. He didn’t sneer.

Cole’s stomach flipped. He felt the words catch in his throat as he tried to process what was happening. He’d done everything. Everything he could to try and avoid him…  but here he was. stood on Cole’s porch.  

‘I’m sorry,’ Cole finally settled on, when neither of them spoke. ‘for Friday night.’

Kai raised an eyebrow.

‘You’re sorry?’

Cole buried his head in his hands. He felt like an idiot standing here in his pyjamas.

‘I shouldn’t have done that. It was stupid of me. Can we just forget it ever happened? Please?’ He was practically begging.

Kai didn’t respond.

‘I just want things to go back to normal,’ Cole continued to ramble, ‘It was a dumb mistake, and I regret it. I shouldn’t have crossed the line like that.’

The words tumbled out of his mouth. Everything he had been ruminating on for the past three days. It felt almost like catharsis, finally getting it all out in the open. At this point, he could take Kai’s reaction. His silence. His regret.

Kai’s lips curved into a smile. ‘Are you done yet?’

Cole faltered. ‘I- huh?’

Kai stepped forward, pulling him in by his shirt. ‘You are such a dork,’ he muttered, before he kissed him.

Cole’s brain faltered.

He stood there, still, for a few seconds, frozen in place.

Then, suddenly, Cole kissed him back. And everything ignited.

The smell of rain and something faintly caramel filled his senses as he drew Kai closer, his fingers curling on the hinge of his jaw, lightly tracing the warm skin.

Kai’s hand found the small of his back, then his hair, then his waist. Their tongues moved fervently, occasionally breaking to let out shuddering breaths. The kiss deepened, and they moved through the doorway, into the house. Cole tugged at Kai’s hoodie, pressing him even closer. They moved backwards until Cole’s back softly hit the wall. Cole’s breath hitched as Kai tilted his head up, pressing kisses to the underside of his jawline. Their lips met again, heated and frantic, until finally – Cole broke away.

‘Holy shit,’ he breathed.

Kai snorted.

‘That’s an understatement,’

Cole met his eyes. Kai’s face softened.

‘Look, I-’

They began at the same time.

Cole chuckled softly. ‘You go first.’

Kai shook his head, his hand clutching Cole's wrist. ‘I’m sorry, Cole. For leaving. It was dumb.’ He said, his voice almost a whisper. ‘I just… got scared, I think,’

Cole’s heartbeat thudded erratically. Everything he had convinced himself of in the last few days was crumbling before him. 

‘So. You didn’t leave because… it was a mistake?’ he asked, his voice unsteady.

Kai’s mouth curved at the edges. ‘Cole. Would I have done that if I thought it was a mistake?’

This didn’t feel real. It was just like it played out in every dream, every scenario. Cole couldn’t trust in his own consciousness.

Kai continued, letting out a quick nervous breath. ‘I like you, Cole. I don’t know what that means. But, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.’

Cole felt light-headed. He let out a small laugh. ‘Are you drunk?’ he asked. It was the only rational explanation.

Kai put his hands up. ‘Sober, honest. You can breathalyse me.’

Cole snorted with laughter. ‘I think I just did.’

Cole stared at the TV, the blue light casting a surreal glow onto his face.

Kai nudged Cole's knee with his own.

‘I’m gonna kill you,’ he said cheerfully.

Cole groaned, watching his character get destroyed for the fifth time. ‘No fair. You always win.’

There was a brief pause as Cole rage-quit, tossing his controller onto the floor.

They glanced at each other. They were sitting side-by-side on the floor, the air thick with an unspoken weight.

Kai watched him, eyes wide with uncertainty. ‘So… did you like me? Before the kiss?’ he asked, suddenly.

Cole shook his head with a laugh. ‘Don’t make me embarrass myself,’ he muttered.

Kai snorted.

‘This is so weird,’ he said, setting the controller down. He wrapped his arms around his knees, hugging himself.

Cole rested his head on the edge of the bed. ‘Good weird, I hope?’

Kai nodded. ‘Good weird.’

Silence again.

Kai turned toward him, slow, tentative. ‘So… you did like me?’

Cole smiled, hiding his face. ‘Of course I did,’ he admitted, ‘how could I not? Look at you.’

Kai nodded. ‘I like that. Keep going.’

Cole rolled his eyes but kept talking. ‘It isn’t just that, though. You’re the most interesting, infuriating… caring, intelligent, complicated person I think I’ve ever met. I'm honestly lucky to have ever met you. You’re... something special.’

‘And the hottest?’

Cole snorted. ‘And the hottest.’

Kai grinned.  

Cole leaned his head back, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. 

‘…You really think that? The other stuff?’

Kai's voice was quiet. 

Cole nodded.

Kai looked away, a small smile on his lips, fidgeting with the edge of the controller. He looked almost soft in the light of the TV, the tips of his ears turning pink.

Cole's heart ached. This was the person he had fallen for. Past the bravado, the posturing, the overcompensating. The strong, tentative, intricate boy that he only seemed to know when they were alone.

The flickering feeling that he'd felt deep inside all these years was now a blinding light - beaming, brighter than he could ever imagine. 

He didn't have a name for it yet - beyond the small, quiet one that seemed to press at the back of his throat, threatening to announce itself.

Love. 

Kai took another bite of pizza, stretching his legs across a chair. ‘Mm. This is good.’

Cole grinned. ‘Thanks.’

Kai stared at him. ‘You made this!? Aren’t you awful at cooking?’

Cole snorted. ‘There are many things you don’t know about me.’

Kai rolled his eyes. ‘So mysterious.’

He leaned over to grab another slice when he suddenly froze, brows furrowed. It was like his mind was whirring. 

‘Wait.’

His eyes snapped to Cole, an expression of horror slowly forming on his face.

‘Vania.’

Cole glanced at him.’What about her?’ he asked.

Kai quickly stood up, pizza slice in hand. He covered his mouth with his hand. ‘Oh god. You’re cheating on her, Cole!’ he exclaimed.

The corner of Cole’s mouth twitched. ‘Huh?’

Kai began to pace back on forth. ‘What the fuck. She’s a princess. She’ll get you killed.’ 

‘Really?’ Cole replied in mock fear.

Kai shook him by the shoulders, eyes wide. ‘You’re not worried? Why aren’t you worried?’

It was like he was discovering morals for the first time.

’She’ll get me killed! I’m dead. The moment one of us steps foot in Shintaro, we’re both dead. They’ll have sniper assassins, Cole!’ He continued, glancing sideways like they were being watched. 

Cole gave up, dissolving into laughter. ‘Okay, okay. I’m sorry,’ he said, before hesitating.

‘It’s not real, Kai.’

Kai stared at him in disbelief. ‘What's not real? What do you mean?’ he asked. 

Cole tried to stifle his laugh. Okay, maybe he really did just forget about Vania’s existence before. ‘We aren’t dating. It’s fake. It’s like a pact we have. We help each other out.’

Kai’s expression didn’t change. ‘Wait. Slow down. This whole time, you weren’t actually together!?’

Cole tilted his head. ‘Pretty much. She came on to me once, but I rejected her. For, you know, obvious reasons.’

‘You lied to me? For this long?’ Kai asked, his hand gripping the tablecloth. It had been a month, at most. Was he serious?

Cole nonetheless felt a flicker of guilt. ‘I’m sorry, Kai. It was-’

‘You’re gay!?’  

Okay. Maybe it wasn’t the Vania thing he was upset about.

Cole stared at him.  

‘…and you’re not?’ he retorted sceptically.

Kai huffed. ‘I…’

He trailed off.

Cole stretched his arms above his head, waiting.

‘I just… I thought we were on the same page.’ Kai finally muttered.

Cole raised an eyebrow. ‘And what does that mean, exactly?’

Kai looked away. ‘I like- I mean, liked Skylor. I thought you liked Vania,’ he stopped for a moment. ‘That we had this, you know, thing, but we were also hung up on girls, too.’

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Let me get this straight,’ Ha-ha. ‘You wanted me to be dating Vania? You just had a breakdown about her executing me!’  

Kai put his head in his hands. ‘I don’t know, Cole! I just- I’m not-‘

Cole groaned. ‘You’re not what?’

Kai paused. ‘I like girls.’

‘I know,’ Cole dragged his hands down his face. ‘You can like both, airhead.’

Kai huffed again, still staring out the window. ‘I don’t know.’

Breathe, Cole. Don’t rush him. Come on. He’s clearly working through some stuff.

Cole stared. ‘What do you mean, “you don’t know?” You’ve liked girls. You like me. You’re bisexual.’

Kai sighed and furrowed his brows, still studying the window pane.  

‘I’ll settle on bi-curious.’

He met Cole’s eyes, and a silence rang between them – before they burst into laughter. The words felt surreal coming from him.

‘You’re a dick,’ Cole muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. ‘This isn’t a negotiation.’

Kai snorted with laughter.

‘Just… give me some time. Let me think things through.’ He said, finally. ‘I don’t want to mess you around. I really care about you, Cole, I swear.’

'Okay.' Cole relented, giving him a small smile. ‘I will.' 

He leaned down and kissed him again, soft, slow. They broke apart, eyes locked together. Cole took his hand. ‘I wasn’t trying to push you.’

Kai nodded, silent. ‘I know,’ he said. Cole felt warmth unfurl in his chest. This is what it felt like. He understood.

Kai’s face shifted into a grin.

‘So, you and Vania, huh? How blind was I?’

Cole laughed. ‘So blind. We were god awful at the start. Remember the double date?’

Kai groaned. ‘Oh my god. I’m an idiot. You played the hell out of me.’

Cole grinned. ‘She’s an amazing liar. Best fake girlfriend I’ve ever had.’

Kai paused. ‘So, she… knows? About you?’

Cole nodded. ‘That I’m gay? Yeah. She’s been great. I don’t know what I’d do without her.’

A flash of panic appeared in Kai’s eyes.

‘Don’t tell her. About this,’ he said quickly. ‘Not yet.’

Cole raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. ‘Okay. She’d be fine about it, though.’

She would freak out. In a positive way. He hoped.

Kai didn’t say anything, just snatched another slice of pizza.

Kai blinked, his dark eyes inches away.

‘We’re keeping this between us, right?’

Cole nodded.

‘Yeah,’ he breathed. ‘Obviously. I have a girlfriend.’

Kai’s laugh shook his shoulders.

‘Right. Good.’

Cole’s chest felt tight.

He exhaled, intertwining their fingers. ‘I would never believe you.’ He whispered with a grin, ‘If you told me this would happen.’

Kai laughed again. ‘I don’t think I’d believe it either. I don’t know how I found the courage to come here today.’

His hair tickled Cole’s forehead.

‘It’s like fate.’

Cole chuckled. ‘I would never have labelled you romantic.’

‘You bring it out in me’

‘Whoa,’ Cole crinkled his nose. ‘Corny.’

Kai pushed him by the shoulder, turning over. ‘Hey!’

Cole kissed him.

He ignored the strange feeling that tugged at him. He ignored the urge to ask: ‘What is this? What are we? What the hell is happening? 

And, most of all, he pushed away the new, quiet voice that echoed deep inside him. It felt out of place, odd.

What if I... don’t want to hide anymore?