Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“ 5:30am is an ungodly early time to be at school, ” Frank thought to himself as he slid out of the passenger seat of his mom’s car and into the school parking-lot. He paused only to grab his duffle bag out of the backseat and to mutter a goodbye to her.

Despite it being early, the parking-lot was buzzing with parents dropping their kids off, traffic slow as they navigated the crowds of sleepy children and the large charter bus taking up much of the lot. Frank scanned the area for his friends before he spotted them. Illi and Mikey were passing their bags to the bus driver, who loaded them into the cargo space underneath the bus. He walked over to the pair, trying his best to be as sneaky as he could. Frank placed his hands on Illi’s shoulders and leaned in close to her head.

”Boo!”

Illi turned and gave nothing more than a long, tired blink. She was all too used to Frank’s antics.

”Hi Frank. Is your trombone on the gear truck?”

“Wow, good to see you too, Illi. Yeah, of course it's on there. I think I loaded it after school yesterday with all the other instruments.”

“You think you put it on?” Mikey chimed in after taking a big swig from a thermos of what Frank could only assume to be coffee.

”Is that to share, or just your own supply?” Frank asked about the gigantic thermos. “I think I’ve only seen one that big on construction sites.”

”Fuck off, man. It’s too early.”

”Woah, that's a big coffee you’ve got Mikey!” Ray said as he joined the group. He was still holding his bag, but quickly passed it to the bus driver before rejoining the group.

”Did you put your trombone on the truck?” Ray asked Frank, who responded with the biggest eye roll he could muster and a middle finger.

“Of course I did, idiot, where the hell else would it be?”

“The band room?” Illi shrugged, “It’s not like you ever bring it home.”

“Shut up!” Frank huffed, “Nerd!”

Illi chuckled softly, gesturing to where Patrick was running between the band director and the bus with a clipboard in hand, “No, that’s the nerd.”

The band director looked mildly amused at Patrick’s antics and began to ferry students towards the bus. 

“Who’s sitting with who?” Ray asked as they were herded towards the bus like cattle. 

“I wanna sit with Illi,” Frank stated proudly. 

“I don’t care.” Illi sighed. 

“I don’t care either.” Mikey spoke after another long sip of coffee. 

“So, it’s settled. I’ll sit with Mikey, Frank can sit with Illi.” Ray nodded, “We can change it up on the way back.”

“Or we don’t…” Frank muttered to himself as they trudged into the bus, which already had a lingering odour to it, and was sure to be smelling worse by the end of the drive. 

Illi slid into the window seat before Frank had a chance to speak, and he resigned himself to sitting in the aisle seat. Ray and Mikey quickly claimed the pair of seats directly behind them so that they would be together in a nice quad, rather than spread out on different sides of the aisle.

After claiming her seat and some fussing with her messenger bag to get out her sketchbook, pencils, and the tangled mess that was her MP3 player and headphones, Illi leaned her head against the cool window. She stared out at the bustling parking-lot and at the line that had begun to form as students started to board the bus. The scene was still cloaked in the hopeful darkness of the early morning, but the first signs of light had started to peek over the horizon.

The remaining open seats quickly began to fill as more groups of students began to board and form their own pairs and quads, with the exception of a few seats at the front of the bus. One of these was taken by Patrick Stump, who had so kindly saved a spot next to him for someone. Someone who, rather concerningly, still hadn’t arrived.

Illi watched as Pete moseyed up to the bus, and Patrick nearly jumped out of his seat and down the stairs to meet him. She made note of the way Patrick gestured wildly between Pete and the bus, his angered speech muffled by the sound of the idling vehicle. 

“ I could make a comic out of them…” She thought to herself, pencil up to her lip, “ The way they’re bickering like an old married couple.”

Finally Pete and Patrick re-entered the bus, Pete looking sufficiently shamed. The band director gave a bored acknowledgement of “Pete,” as he checked his name off the list. 

~ 

Mikey had made a huge mistake. It hadn’t been long since the bus had left the school and he had already finished all of his coffee. He was regretting his choices of drinking it all at once, rather than spreading it out over the course of the drive. He had to face the consequences of his actions; not only was he extremely caffeinated, but he really needed to use the bathroom.

He tried to distract himself from thinking about it for a while and hoped that it would make the urge go away, but no matter how much he had tried to focus on listening to his music or reading his comic book, nothing seemed to help. He turned to his seat partner and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ray,” Mikey whispered in Ray’s ear, “Ray are you awake?”

“Yeah..?” Ray turned to Mikey, “What’s up?”

“I’ve gotta pee so fucking bad man,” Mikey admitted. 

“Dude, we just got on the highway,” Ray sighed, “There isn’t gonna be a rest stop for another 30 minutes.. maybe? Can you hold it?”

“No man, I don’t think I can,” Mikey squeezed his legs together. 

“Can you try..?” Ray was holding back a laugh. 

“Mikey has the bladder of a 9-year-old.” Illi turned around to add. 

“No I don’t!” Mikey whined. 

“He wasn’t potty trained until he was 5.”

“Shut up, that’s not even true…” Mikey grumbled, once again taking out his comic book to try and distract himself from his ever-growing need to pee. 

Ray chuckled and turned to Illi, “How’s it going with Frank?”

“He’s asleep.”

“Does he look stupid?” Mikey asked. 

”Extremely.” She snickered. 

“Have you taken a picture? I wanna see.” Ray placed his hands on Illi’s seat to try to take a look. 

Illi whipped out her phone, phone charms clinking together as she snapped several pictures of Frank from multiple angles. She held the phone up to Ray. 

“Look at him.. our sweet baby..” Ray teased. 

“Our sweet little demon baby.” Mikey rolled his eyes. 

“Sweet is not the word I would use to describe Frankie.” Illi snorted. 

Frank stirred slightly, causing all three of them to pause, not wanting to wake him up. 

~

Around an hour later, the bus pulled into a rest stop. The band director stood up to try and give instructions about when to return but Mikey was not listening. As soon as the doors opened he was up and out, half walking-half jogging to get to the gas station bathroom. 

“I think that might be the fastest he’s ever run,” muttered Illi, hiding a laugh.

“He’s been complaining about having to pee for an hour.” Ray sighed, “The poor boy.”

“Wanna go to Starbucks with me?” Illi asked Ray as Frank beelined it for the gas station to grab a Monster. 

“You sure you want a coffee after you saw what it did to Mikey?”

“Trust me, I’ve got mad bladder skills.” She responded with a grin.

~

“I’m just going to use the bathroom before we go.” Ray told Illi. She nodded in acknowledgment, although she didn’t totally hear him over the noise of the crowded coffee shop.

 Iced vanilla latte in hand, Illi returned to her seat, climbing over Frank in the process, and plugged her earbuds in to continue listening to The Smashing Pumpkins’ Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness . 

As the bus began moving, she stared out the window at the trees whipping past, illuminated by the soft glow of the morning sunlight. She daydreamed about vampires fighting each other with swords. She was shaken out of her thoughts by the harsh sound of her phone ringing. Who would be calling her?

Chapter Text

“Hey Illi… forgetting someone?” Ray’s voice crackled through the speaker of her flip phone. 

“Ray?” Illi said into the receiver, twisting around briefly to look at the seat behind her, which was in fact empty. Her eyes went wide. “Oh shit.”

“Mikey! You didn’t notice Ray wasn’t next to you?” Illi whipped around again to face the seats behind her, this time pointing her finger at her brother.

“I just thought he sat somewhere else,” Mikey responded nonchalantly, “I’m not his mom.”

“Mr. Maven! We need to turn around!” Illi cried out, “We forgot Ray!”

“We WHAT?!” He called back, “We have to turn around.” 

The bus driver gave a loud sigh, audible even from the back of the bus. 

“Mr. Maven, are you sure we forgot Raymond Toro?” Patrick asked him, “I could’ve sworn he was next to Michael. Y’know, Michael McMillin?”

“Nah dude, that’s Mikey.” Pete chimed in. 

“Doesn’t matter, point being, didn't you check Raymond’s name off on the list?”

“I thought I saw Ray..” He muttered to himself, flipping through the sheets, then looking up at the students, “Look, he’s right over there, next to Andy!”

“Mr. Maven, that’s Joseph Trohman.” Replied Patrick.

“What? No. That’s Ray.”

“I’m Joe.” Joe raised his hand, “I think we actually forgot Ray.”

The band director ran his hands through his hair with a worried expression on his face and muttered to himself, “Oh my god, we forgot a kid.”

“His mom’s gonna kill me if she finds out..” Illi muttered to herself. 

~

Once Ray was successfully reunited with the class, the ride continued on as smoothly as it could. Both Mikey and Frank had a Monster each, sipping on them quickly. Ray knew another bathroom disaster was imminent. 

“Hey Ray,” Illi turned around to look at Ray, who was staring out the window. 

He looked up, “Yes?”

“Check this out.”

She passed him her sketchbook. On the page was a sketch of Frank sleeping. It was a positively disgusting caricature. Drool was spread all over his chin, his face pressed into the seat and contorted under the hood of his sweatshirt.

Ray bit back a laugh, “It’s beautiful, Illi.”

“I like using my art skills for evil.”  She grinned. 

“What’s so funny?” Frank muttered, still half asleep. “Can I see?”

“No.” She closed her sketchbook and passed it over her shoulder to the pair behind, “Ray’s eyes only.”

“What??” Not fair…” Frank mumbled, resting his head on Illi’s shoulder. 

“Ew, get off of me.” She gently picked up his head, letting it fall dramatically down the back of the seat. 

Frank groaned, bunching up his sweater to make a makeshift pillow, “You’re mean.”

“I am. And you like it.” She grinned. 

He gave her a half-hearted middle finger before promptly dozing off again. 

~

Frank wasn’t the type of person who had bad dreams on a regular basis, but apparently today was the exception. His naps had been plagued by images of Illi being angry at him, including one where she was giant and crushed him under the bottom of her shoe like a bug. All these dreams seemed to have one thing in common - he had forgotten something very important. After a particularly vivid dream, Frank woke up with a start. 

“Hey guys, is this a bad time to bring this up?”

”What's up, man?” Responded Ray.

”Promise you won’t get mad.”

”What did you do?” Illi chimed in, glaring daggers at him.

”I think I forgot my trombone at the school.” Frank said, hiding his face in his hands.

“After we asked you, like, 3 separate times?” Ray clarified as Illi shook her head in disappointment. 

“What are we going to do with you?” Illi sighed dramatically, bringing her hand to her forehead, “I bet I can guess exactly where it is in the band room too.”

“We could leave him on the side of the mountain for the animals.” Added Mikey, looking up from his comic book.

“Oooo. Leave him out for the cougars and the mountain lions.” Ray nodded. 

“Cougars? I wouldn't mind those.” Frank retorted, smirking. 

Illi smacked him with her sketchbook, “Gross. Keep that shit to yourself.”

“Did I just hear what I thought I heard??” Patrick whipped around suddenly, pointing at Frank. 

“What? That he’s into cougars?” Mikey snorted. 

“No! That- no- that’s gross,” Patrick faltered, but only for a moment, “No! That he forgot his trombone!”

“Frankie, Frankie, Frankie…” Pete chuckled to himself, “Dumbass.”

“Hey! I heard that!” Frank pointed at Pete. 

“It’s a good thing I was prepared for this!” Patrick pushed his glasses up, “I brought Pete’s trombone!”

“You what?” Pete asked, “But I was supposed to bring my tuba. And I did.. right?”

“Well, Peter, I was a bit afraid you would forget it, which you didn’t, but I planned ahead and made sure to pack your trombone just in case.” Patrick patted Pete on the head, “And good thing, because Franklin over there forgot his.”

“Don’t call me Franklin, that’s not my name!” Frank shouted back. 

“According to the attendance sheet, it is!” Patrick claimed triumphantly. 

“Settle down, Franklin.” Illi patted his arm. 

“Not you too!” Frank grumbled, sitting back down, “Betrayal.”

“You wouldn't know betrayal if it slapped you across the face, Franklin.” She retorted. 

“Ok.. Illith. Mc.. McMillith…” Frank spluttered. 

“It’s McMillin.” Mikey chimed in. 

“Also it’s not Illith.” Ray added. 

“How do you know??” Frank glared at Ray. 

“I just do. It’s common knowledge.”

“What’s Illi short for??”

“I’m not gonna tell you. Ask Illi.”

“I’m not telling you.” Illi shrugged, “You can find out the hard way.”

Frank pouted, pulling his headphones over his ears, listening to Black Flag, angrily tapping on his knees. He hoped Illi would ask him what he was listening to, but she never did. She just sat and sketched away in her sketchbook. 

~

The time passed slowly as they drove through the winding mountain roads. Illi’s MP3 player had run out of battery and her friends were all asleep, but she found herself too full of nerves to drift off herself.

Instead of sleeping, she reached into her backpack and pulled out her heavily decorated reed case and her reed making knife. She was still learning how to make reeds, but she was sure that this next batch would be the best ones yet. She picked one and began running the small knife along the sides of the reed to better refine its shape.

Shhhk, shhhk, shhhk.

Frank shifted in his sleep at the strange scratching sound.

Shhhhk, shhhk, shhhhk.

“Shut up…” He mumbled, half asleep. 

Shhhk, shhhhhk, shhhhk.

“What even is that..?” Frank waved his hand at Illi to stop her from making the sound. 

“Careful, I have a knife.” 

“Huhhh??” Frank opened his eyes slowly, “Why..?”

“Makin’ reeds.” She responded, dragging the knife along the surface of the reed again for effect, “What else would I be doing?”

“Why d’you have a knife..?” Frank forced his eyes to open, “And why are you being so annoying?”

“Because I can, and because I will.” 

“That doesn’t make sense..” Frank mumbled, closing his eyes again, “Can you at least shut up?”

“No~” She spoke in a sing-song voice.

~

It wasn’t long before the bus pulled into the hotel driveway. The soft light of morning had long faded into the warm glow of late afternoon as the students got off their bus, eager to get their luggage and go to their rooms. 

Before handing out the room keys, the band director gathered everyone in the lobby for a group meeting to lay out the expectations for behaviour while they were staying there. To ensure everyone went where they were supposed to he passed out the keys based on who was staying in each room.

“Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Joe Trohman: you’re in room 307.” He said. Ray made his way slowly through the group, and once within reach the band director passed him a stack of 3 room keys. The group moved out of the way, but waited to hear exactly which rooms their friends would be in so they could go up together.

“Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, and Andy Hurley: you’ll be in room 309.” He said, quickly passing the keys to Patrick who had already been waiting at the front of the group.

“Ger- Illi McMillin and Mikey McMillin: room 310.” Illi grabbed the keys and slipped off to where their friends were waiting, eager to avoid the whispers about how the siblings were in the only other two person room aside from the adult chaperones.

Chapter Text

The first order of business after breakfast was a rehearsal in the hotel’s conference room. The space was small and crowded, but the band director insisted that they needed to play through their pieces for the concert showcase the next day so that they could fix any issues that might come up.

Frank noticed that Illi was struggling to carry all her stuff to her seat, so he went over and offered to help carry it over. 

“Hey Illi, that’s a lot of stuff you’ve got. Need a hand?” Frank asked, reaching out to take some.

“That would help a lot, actually.” She replied, immediately shoving her tuner, music folder, reed case, cigarette papers, and soaking cup into his hands. 

She picked up her bassoon and carried it over to her seat, first setting up the chair strap before sitting herself down and getting her bassoon properly situated.

“So where should I put these?” Frank asked about the stuff in his arms.

“Just on the floor is fine. Except for the music and the soaking cup, those can go on my stand” Illi instructed as she took her bocal out of the bell and put it into the wing joint.

Frank did as he was told, only pausing when he noticed the small package of cigarette rolling papers. “Woah Illi, you roll your own cigarettes? That's super cool! But why do you have them here? I can put them back with your stuff if you want”

“Don’t take those away. They’re for my bassoon, dummy, for when my pads get sticky.” Then she leaned close and whispered, “And sometimes for rolling my own cigarettes too.”

The band director called the 5 minute warning for everyone to be in their seats, so Frank went to set up his - or rather Pete’s - trombone. He played a few fuzzy-sounding notes and then sat down in his seat, noticing that the slide of Pete’s trombone moved much faster than his did.

Rehearsal started and things went smoothly as they ran through their songs. Everyone came in at the correct times, and Frank, as always, pretended to play, moving his slide to random places. Everything was going well until Frank made a quick change from 2nd position to 7th position and, with the extra smooth movement of Pete’s slide, sent it flying into the saxophone section - hitting Patrick in the back of the head. The ensemble spluttered and squawked at the interruption, the playing stopping soon after.

“Iero!” The band director said, “Do not let that happen tomorrow.”

Pete was laughing from his seat next to Frank, “Yo! You totally got Trick right in the head, that ruled!”

Frank pulled his stand up higher to cover his red face and hoped the Illi hadn’t noticed exactly what had happened. She totally had, and was laughing about it from behind her own stand. 

“Why is your slide so greasy?” Frank grumbled, attempting to regain dignity.

“That’s how it's supposed to be, dumbass.” Pete playfully punched Frank’s shoulder.

“Franklin, I would appreciate it if you kept your slide in your hand, please.” Patrick turned around to address the trombones, “I would rather not get a concussion.”

Frank flipped him off, sitting back in his chair. He stole a glance over to Illi, who was mimicking his slide flying off into the saxophones. He decided he was done looking at her and went back to fake playing and staring at his music so hard it might burn a hole though it. 

~

As rehearsal let out, Mikey found himself alone in the hotel lobby, looking through one of the provided brochures, staring at the glossy images of forest trails. Ray was in his room taking a nap because he had a migraine, Frank was off with Joe, doing whatever they were doing, and Illi was clothes shopping with some of the clarinet girls. And so, Mikey was bored and alone. 

“Whatcha doin’, McMillin?” Pete looked down at Mikey, who was sprawled across one of the lobby’s couches.

“Absolutely nothing,” Mikey groaned, “I’m so bored.”

“Wanna go for a walk?” Pete asked.

Mikey sat up, looking between the brochure and Pete, “Hey, yeah. I know a spot.”

“Do you? We just got here.”

Mikey got up, wrapping his arm around Pete’s shoulders and dragging him out of the lobby, “Yeah dude, I always know a spot.”

The two left, the travel brochure laying forgotten in the crack of the couch. The world was their oyster, and Mikey was determined to get to the spot he was reading about just a short while before.

Except Mikey McMillin forgot he was incredibly directionally challenged, and he got them lost almost immediately.

“So… are we almost there?” Pete asked, opening his phone to look at the time, “We’re supposed to be back in like… 20 minutes.”

“Back for what?” Mikey asked, “We’re, like, almost there. Don’t worry about it.”

“Group dinner, dude.” Pete responded, kicking a rock along the sidewalk, “My phone’s about to die.”

“Bummer.” Mikey shrugged, “Don’t need it anyways, I know where I’m going.”

“Y’know, Mikes, you keep saying that, but I think we’ve passed this building with the fountain, like, 3 times.”

“We’re not lost, Pete.”

“Never said we were.”

“I’m just.. A little confused..” Mikey muttered, mostly to himself, “The brochure said to take a right at the fountain.”

“What if we took a left instead?” Pete suggested, and Mikey feigned offence.

“What, you calling me a liar?”

“Well, I ain’t calling you a truther.” Pete laughed, “Let’s just try it. Where are we even trying to go?”

“That ruins the surprise, Wentz.”

~

Finally, after who knows how long, they found it: Middletona Rock. In the outskirts of Middleton, Mikey read in the brochure that it was found by John Middleton, and he helped build the town of Middleton near the glorious landmark.

“So… that’s it?” Pete chuckled as they approached it, and Mikey stood before it, staring all the way up, neck back impossibly far.

“Dude, it’s even better than I thought.” Mikey grinned, “It’s so big.”

“That’s what she said…” Pete muttered to himself as he stood next to Mikey, looking up, “Yeah man, it’s a big rock.”

Mikey looked over at Pete, “It’s kinda beautiful, in a way.”

“Wanna climb it?” Pete asked, looking up, as if planning a route.

“Fuck yeah I wanna climb it.”

Pete began the journey, scaling the rock, Mikey following shortly behind him. As he hauled himself onto the top, he extended his arm out to give Mikey a hand, who gladly took it, and Pete dragged the lanky fellow onto the rock with him. As Mikey got his bearings, they shared a high five, smiling at each other. They sat together, watching as the sun set, casting pink and orange onto the clouds above them.

“This is really nice.” Mikey spoke softly, his legs tucked up close to his chest.

“It is.” Pete responded, his hands sprawled out, holding himself up as he leaned back on his hands, “Thanks for asking me to go for a walk.”

Mikey chuckled under his breath, “Even though I got us lost?”

“I never doubted you, McMillin.” Pete looked over at Mikey.

Mikey let his hand rest next to Pete’s, staring up at the sky, “Thanks for coming with me.” 

Pete’s fingers brushed against Mikey’s, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Mikey’s eyes met Pete’s, holding his gaze for longer than he usually would. Mikey observed all the details of his face, his sparkling brown eyes with black eyeliner smudged around them, his freckled cheeks, and the way his lips curled into a sly smile when he noticed Mikey staring at him. The moment was interrupted by Mikey’s harsh ringtone, and he immediately fumbled to retrieve his phone from his hoodie pocket.

“Hello?” He asked, breathless from frantically searching for the screaming device. 

“Michael James!” Illi’s voice sternly crackled through the receiver, “Where the hell are you?”

“On a rock.” He shrugged, “Where are you?”

“At the group dinner. Y’know, where you’re supposed to be?” She sighed, “We’re missing Pete too, if you happen to know where he is.”

“I’m next to Pete right now.”

Her exasperated sigh was not lost on Mikey, “Dude, just, get to the restaurant, like, now.” 

“Got it.” Mikey snapped his phone shut.

“We’re so late for group dinner, aren’t we?” Pete chuckled. 

“Dude, she’s so mad at me. I got the full name treatment.”

Pete let his hand rest on Mikey’s, “Well, let’s not keep her waiting, Michael James~”

Mikey felt a blush overtake his cheeks, “I- I guess we shouldn’t.”

He felt the cold air touch his skin as Pete removed his hand, and Pete scooted forward to jump off the rock, laughing as he hit the ground. 

“I’ll race you there, McMillin.”

Mikey gulped, jumping after him, unsteadily getting back on his feet, “You’re on, Wentz!” 

~

The energy at dinner was extremely tense. Mikey tried his best to ignore the fact that his sister was staring daggers at him, doing his best to avoid eye contact by talking with the others, or more accurately, not talking at all. He just knew that he would be getting an earful once they got back to their shared hotel room.

The walk back to the hotel after dinner was mostly silent, and Illi kept close to Mikey, determined not to let him out of her sight again. First they had forgotten Ray, and then she had lost Mikey? She just knew that their parents would kill them if they heard about it.

As they entered their shared hotel room, Mikey watched as Illi turned around to face him. He closed the door softly behind them. 

“Hey, I’m sorry I was late for dinner, I just-” Mikey started, but was quickly interrupted.

“Don’t start with that Michael James! I had no idea where you went! You could’ve sent a text or called me or something just to let me know you were okay, but nope! Nothing. Absolute silence.” Illi snapped with a glare that cut like a thousand knives.

“I didn’t think-”

“No, clearly you didn’t.” She said sharply and Mikey felt himself shrink a few inches. Somehow this felt worse than when their mother got angry at him. Hearing this tirade come from his sister, and admittedly, his best friend, stung much more than he had expected it to.

“I thought something had happened to you,” She continued, her voice taking a bit of a softer, sadder tone, “I know it's kind of silly, but I still feel like I need to take care of you. I was so worried that you’d gotten hurt or kidnapped or something when you didn’t show up for dinner.”

“I’m really sorry Illi,” Mikey said, reaching out to give his sister a hug.

Illi leaned her head against his shoulder, trying her best not to let the tears that had welled up in her eyes fall. “I know. Just tell me where you’re going next time. And don’t be late.”

“Well, I can’t promise that-” he joked, giving a small smile.

“Mikey. I am going to kill you.” She punched him on the shoulder lightly. “Was it nice at least?”

“Yeah, it was. I can show you during free time tomorrow if you want.”

“As long as you don’t get lost again. Promise?”

“I promise.”

~

“So, where were you, Peter?” Patrick asked, voice stern. 

“Whadda you mean?” Pete flopped down his and Patrick’s shared bed. 

“Why were you so late for dinner?” Patrick crossed his arms.

“I was out for a walk with Mikey- god- you’re not my boyfriend, Trick, you don’t need to know where I am every second of the day.”

Patrick frowned, “I- I know that, but still, you’re my friend and I care about your whereabouts.”

“It was kinda suspicious that you and Mikey came to dinner so late.” Andy chimed in from the pullout couch, “Just saying.”

“Oh my god, shut up, nothing happened!” Pete groaned, opening his laptop, “You’re both so annoying.”

“You couldn’t stop staring at him at dinner.” Andy raised his brows at Pete, “Where did you go?”

“None of your fuckin’ business.” Pete rolled his eyes, clicking around as his laptop started up, “You’re not my mom.”

Patrick pulled his lips in a tight line, “Pete, I just- if you’re gonna go off on your own, just let me know where you are so I know you’re safe.”

Pete looked back over at Patrick, his gaze softening, “If it means that much to you, Trick, I- I’ll try to do that.”

Patrick rested his head on Pete’s shoulder, watching as Pete navigated to his livejournal, “Whatcha writing about?”

Pete sighed, “Must I answer everything?”

“Yes please.”

Pete fought back another eye roll, “Fine. I’ll spill. Mikey and I found this huge rock, Middletona Rock, it’s- like- this town’s big landmark. It’s on the outskirts of town. It was nice, we got lost for a bit, but we found it and we climbed on top of it… It was really nice.”

Patrick hummed, watching Pete open a new entry, “You gonna write about it?”

Pete nodded wordlessly, resting his head on Patrick’s as they both stared at the blank entry, black cursor blinking softly.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Patrick got up, rustling through his suitcase, “I’m gonna take a shower.”

“Good, you need it, stinky.” Pete stuck his tongue out at Patrick, who returned the sentiment with a middle finger.

Pete’s fingers blazed across the keyboard as soon as Patrick was out of view, and Andy had his headphones on and eyes closed. He thought about the trip so far, and of his adventure with Mikey, and typed out his entry:

“Amazing middleton sunset. I’m hanging on a rock with my friend mikey mcmillin from band. Its all orange and pink above us. We went on a walk again. I love high fives again. Totally back in love. Saw the most amazing movie… I think its called spirited away. Watch it.”

Chapter Text

“So, Ray, what are you gonna do with your free time?” Illi grabbed Ray’s arm as they left the conference centre. 

“I was thinking of going to the hot spring nearby…” He brought a hand to his lower back, “I know that sounds lame but my back has been killing me-“

“That sounds like fun,” Illi smiled at him, a genuine smile, “I’ll come with you.”

Ray blushed at the thought of Illi with him… in a hot spring… her pale skin exposed, “Oh- o-okay!” 

“I’ll come with too, y’know,” Frank chimed in, rolling his eyes, snapping Ray out of his daydream. 

“I’ll come too.” Mikey gave a thumbs up, not looking up from his phone where he was texting, “Oh- and Pete’s coming too.”

“How- o- okay??” Ray shook his head slightly. 

“Uh. Looks like Patrick is coming too.” Mikey stopped in his tracks to look up. 

“Oh god, not Patrick,” Frank grumbled, “He’s so annoying. Tell him he’s not invited.”

“Pete invited him. I can’t say no to Pete.” Mikey put a hand over his eyes.

“Oh my god, Mikey, yes you can.” Frank threw his head back in frustration.

Illi swore she saw Mikey’s cheeks go pink as he mumbled, “Whatever. Just deal with it.”

And so, all of them went to the hot springs. Joe and Andy tagged along for fun, seeing as Patrick and Pete were going. They bounded into the hot spring, the lack of amusement from the staff was palpable as they entered. 

Ray found himself sat on a step, back against the side, enjoying himself away from the group. Despite the shenanigans happening on the other side of the springs between Patrick and Frank, Ray was content in his spot, watching them lazily. He stared up at the blue sky, not a care in the world, spacing out, until a familiar voice caught him by surprise. 

“Hey Toro, want some company?” Illi grinned at him. 

“If it’s your company, you’re more than welcome,” He adjusted slightly, allowing her to sit next to him on the step. 

He watched as she padded towards him, her black and white striped swim top was so cute with her black shorts… Her jet black hair was damp, sticking to her head and shoulders, and her mascara was smudged under her eyes. She was so beautiful, and he was trying his best not to look at her cleavage as she sat next to him, laying back like he was. 

“It’s nice to get away from the chaos…” She spoke softly, closing her eyes. 

“I agree…” He closed his eyes too, leaning his head back, “I can feel my stress melting away.”

He had his arms along the side of the hot spring, and she scooted closer to him, practically cuddling into him. He blushed at their lack of clothing, and he could only hope that Illi attested his red face to the warm air and water, and not to his ever-growing crush on her.

He knew his feelings for Illi were dangerous. Mikey would kill him if he knew he had the hots for his sister. But Ray had been fighting back his feelings for Illi for years, and it was becoming more and more unbearable as they got older. She just got more and more beautiful, and he fought hard to not stare at her all of class. They shared these sneaky glances, though, where she would smile or smirk at him, eyes twinkling. Ray would be fine if they stayed friends forever, no matter how much it hurt. Just having her in his life makes it all worth it… At least, that’s what he tells himself. 

“Dude, this hot spring smells like farts,” Frank spoke, and Ray’s eyes shot open.

“Jeez Frank, you scared me,” Ray gasped, looking over at Illi, who was unbothered, and was sidled right up against him. He hadn’t even noticed her getting closer to him.

“Do you mind, Frank? Ray and I are relaxing.”

“The water tastes like ass too.”

“How do you know what ass tastes like?” Mikey smirked, appearing behind him, glasses foggy from the steam.

Frank went red, “I don’t! But if I did, I bet it would taste like this water.”

“Aren’t you specifically not supposed to drink the spring water?” Illi spoke with her eyes closed, unaffected.

“This water does taste like ass,” Pete confirmed, “Smells like farts too.”

“See??” Frank gestured to Pete, “He gets it.”

“How do you know what ass tastes like?” Mikey asked Pete.

“Because I’m a boykisser, that’s why.” Pete smirked, looking over at Mikey, watching for his reaction. 

“Gay.” Mikey mumbled, cheeks pink.

“Kinda the point, Mikey.”

“So, idiots, can you go and be gay elsewhere? Some of us are trying to relax here.” Illi scoffed.

“What? So you can have Ray all to yourself??” Frank teased, “Trying to shake us off so you can make out??”

Ray blushed, but Illi remained unphased, “No, I’m trying to shake you off because you’re annoying. Don’t make me call Patrick over-”

“The fart smell comes from the sulfur!" Patrick appeared, as if on cue, wiping sweat from his brow, “Hot springs usually contain a combination of sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and silica.”

“Cool,” Pete wrapped an arm around Patrick, “You enjoying it, Trick?”

“Absolutely.”

Frank rolled his eyes, getting an elbow from Mikey, who muttered in his ear, “Be nice, Frank.”

“Just because you’re trying to get on Pete’s good side, for whatever stupid reason, doesn’t mean I have to be nice to him.”

“I like hanging around with Pete, I’ll have you know.”

“Pete’s a loser, dude, why?”

Mikey shrugged, “I’m a loser too.”

Frank crinkled his nose, “Okay, fair, I guess?”

Illi turned to Ray, her face buried in his curls as she whispered in his ear, “Wanna move?”

“I guess. I have a feeling trouble will follow.”

Illi stretched, raising a brow at Frank, “You’re staring, Frankie.”

Frank’s mouth opened and closed a few times like a dying fish, and Ray fought back a chuckle, “No I’m not.”

“Why don’t you enjoy the hot springs… somewhere else?”

“Why do you wanna hang out with Ray alone?”

“Why are you being so annoying about it? I wanna hang out with Ray because he’s not being a chaotic little gremlin.”

Frank glared at Ray, then glared at Illi, before grabbing Mikey in a huff and dragging him away, Pete and Patrick following in tow. 

Illi let out a sigh of relief, leaning back into Ray’s arm again, “Thank god…”

Ray chuckled, “Happy to be alone?”

“Always happy to be alone with you, Toro.” She grinned at him, “Frank’s just really been getting on my nerves this trip. He’s like a clingy puppy.”

“He has been especially weird on this trip, I’ll admit.” Ray looked down at her, “Maybe something’s happening and he’s not telling us?”

“I don’t know, I don’t even know if I care,” She was watching the ripples in the water, how the sun reflected off of them, “I mean, I like Frank, but he’s just pissing me off. Maybe it’s just because we’re on the trip and he’s just not taking it seriously like we are. I’m… I’m glad you’re on this trip, Ray. You understand.”

Ray nodded, allowing his arm to wrap around Illi’s shoulders, “I’m glad to have you here on the trip with me too, Illi.”

Ray looked over at the group, locking eyes with Frank, who had a scowl on his face. Ray frowned, hugging Illi close, “Y’know, Illi, I’ve been thinking… Would you be interested in playing in youth orchestra?”

She hummed, “Maybe?”

“I think it would be really nice to have you there,” Ray smiled, “We really need a bassoon player.”

“Are you just using me as a bassoonist? Toro..” She teased.

“No- no! I would want you there no matter what you played, I- I just like playing with you.”

“I like playing with you too, Ray. It’s always nice to play with your best friend.”

Ray tried his best not to flinch at the words best friend, “I feel the same.”

They continued to sit, a comfortable silence hummed between them. For once, Illi didn’t feel the need to fill the space with empty rambling, but just enjoyed Ray’s presence, and his arm around her shoulders. 

~

If not for the signs around town advertising the music festival, you might have thought there was some type of massive funeral with the way children in all sorts of dress clothes were milling about the town center. 

The hotel lobby was full of students in black bottoms and button up shirts with matching red neckties. The only major differences between them was that some wore pants and a belt, others wore long skirts and tights. 

Illi had chosen to go with the skirt option, and for the first time in a long time she felt satisfied with how she looked in the concert dress. She smiled as she ran a lint roller over her skirt, picking up loose hairs and dust. Once happy, she looked up, holding the lint roller out to her friends.  “Who's next?”

“You shed like a dog, Frank. How is your hair everywhere?” Illi asked him as she ran a lint roller over the back of his shirt.

“Are you sure that isn’t your hair? It's the same colour as mine is.” He retorted.

She responded with a look of faux offence and a middle finger before moving on to get Mikey with the lint roller. He scooted away from her, eventually breaking into a fast walk as she followed him with the roller.

“Leave me alone with that thing,” He said, laughing as he wove through the group gathered in the lobby. 

“No, Mikey, you’re dirty!” Illi chased after him, shaking the lint roller at him.

As Mikey turned around to stick his tongue out at Illi, he ran straight into Pete, causing Mikey to tumble over onto the floor. Pete laughed, looking down at Mikey.

“Whoa, you okay dude?” Pete extended a hand to help Mikey up.

Mikey stared up at Pete, mouth slightly agape, eyes darting between Pete’s face and his outstretched hand, “You don’t have a belt on.”

Pete’s smile faltered, “Huh?”

“Uh- I mean- sorry.” Mikey took his hand and Pete helped him up, holding onto his hand for a moment longer than necessary, “Sorry I ran into you.”

Pete’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, “Don’t worry about it, McMillin. I’m more concerned with why you noticed I didn’t have a belt.”

Mikey blushed, “Uh- I just… did. I’m very observant.”

“He’s right, Pete,” Patrick appeared from behind a potted plant, “You are missing a belt.”

“Okay? And I don’t need one.” Pete shrugged, “Belts are overrated anyways.”

Mikey looked down to see that Pete’s pants were hanging dangerously low, and that he could fully see the waistband of his boxers. Illi caught up to them, a hand on her hip, pointing the lint roller at Mikey.

“You still need to get de-linted, idiot.” She pointed at Mikey, then at Pete, “And you need a belt. I can see your underwear.”

“That’s what I’m going for.” Pete responded nonchalantly.

Patrick blushed at Illi’s mention of Pete’s underwear, “She’s right, Pete, you need a belt. You’re indecent.”

“Trick, I’ll show you indecent.” Pete scoffed.

“Do you have a belt?” Illi asked, raising a brow at Pete, “That is, a belt that isn’t your studded belt that you wear so low it doesn’t do anything.”

“Says the person who owns a belt with a bat buckle.”

”A bat buckle that actually holds up my pants!” 

Mikey watched as they bickered, and Patrick came back with a shoelace, “I think I’ve found a solution.”

“Oh~” Pete smirked, “I didn’t know you were into that, Trick.”

Patrick’s cheeks went red, “Sh-shut up, no! This is a belt!”

“Patrick, that is a shoelace.” Illi blinked at him dryly.

“No! Guys, just listen to me.” Patrick untangled the shoelace, “We’ll tie it around Pete’s waist like a belt, and then it’ll keep his pants up.”

“No, Trick, that’s gonna look stupid.” Pete groaned.

“Well, maybe you should’ve brought a belt.” Patrick shot back, beginning to thread the shoelace through his belt loops, “Then I wouldn’t have to do this.”

As Mikey observed the interaction, he didn’t even notice Illi lint rolling him until she was done, and she whispered in his ear.

“I won, Michael.”

He turned to her and brought a hand up to her hair, messing it up. She smacked his hand away, huffing as she went back to her bag to find her hairbrush. 

~

As the band sat patiently in the audience, watching one of the other school bands on tour, Illi found herself between Frank and Ray in the super narrow seats of the auditorium. She felt quite squished between them, feeling both of their knees touching hers. 

‘Why the hell can’t they close their legs? Fuckin’ boys…’ She thought to herself, wishing she had brought her sketchbook or something of stimulation. She liked listening to other bands, but she was so tired and bored that she was fighting to keep herself awake. 

Meanwhile, on her left, Ray Toro was nearly sweating at the contact. Ever since their interaction at the hot spring, Ray had been trying his best to stop his mind from thinking about Illi. She was haunting his every waking moment, and his sleeping moments too, as he dreamed about holding her hand and asking her on a date. Everything he did was infected by Illi McMillin, and she didn’t even know it.  

He struggled to get comfortable in the chair, his legs cramped, and he ended up touching knees with Illi. He apologized to her of course, and she shrugged it off, saying something about his legs being long. She seemed distant, sort of spacey. Ray wanted so desperately to ask her what was wrong, but he knew speaking while the band was performing was incredibly disrespectful, and he was a good student at heart. 

Their shoulders even brushed a few times, and Ray wanted nothing more than to throw his arm over the back of her chair and pull her in close to him. That would be the ideal way to listen to music- with Illi McMillin in his arms. 

‘Snap out of it, Toro. God, you’re pathetic.’ He thought as he stared at the band on stage, stopping himself from looking at her. 

Meanwhile on Illi’s right, was Frank Iero, who also was barely containing his excitement of being next to Illi. He had been desperate to get a moment with Illi since they got there and he always felt this need to fight for her attention, even though nothing had changed. 

Frank didn’t have a crush on Illi McMillin, or at least, that’s what he told himself. But the way his heart fluttered when she spoke to him, and the inherent need to receive praise from her was getting Frank acting all sorts of weird. 

He couldn’t figure out why he was so upset when he saw Illi and Ray together at the hot springs. There was something so tender about the way that they sat together, even though he knew they were just friends, that really pissed him off. Why couldn’t it have been him?

As his knee touched Illi’s, he felt electricity sparking through him, keeping him awake as he struggled to keep his eyes on the other band. He bounced his other knee, chewing on a piece of gum he knew he wasn’t supposed to have in his mouth. He was watching Illi more than the band: the outline of her profile in the darkened auditorium, the curve of her nose, her thin lips that were pink and glossy…

Her eyes darted to his suddenly, and Frank immediately turned to look away, cheeks flushing pink as he was caught staring. 

‘God, I wish Frank would stop staring at me with those big bug eyes..’ Illi thought to herself as she fiddled with the program in her hands, folding it over and over again, ‘What a creep, like, go stare at Mikey if you’re bored.’

She gave a glance over to her brother, who was nearly asleep in his seat between Frank and Pete, blinking slowly, eyes glazed over. Pete was watching him, eyes studying Mikey. Pete and Illi made brief eye contact and Pete immediately turned to look back at the band. 

‘Something’s happening there…’ She made an internal note to interrogate Mikey about it later. 

She turned back to look at Ray, who was watching the band with a slight smile on his face. It was nice to see someone was appreciating the music being made. He noticed her gaze, and turned to her, giving her a tight lipped smile. Then he leaned in to whisper. 

“Female bassoonist. Just like you.”

She grinned, whispering back, “Not as cool as me.”

“Nobody is ever as cool as you.”

She continued to smile, bumping her shoulder into Ray’s as they continued to watch the band. Something about being with Ray made things more comfortable, even if she was bored. He always knew just what to say. 

‘His hair smells nice…’ She felt her mind wander, ‘I wonder what kind of shampoo he uses. Is it specifically for curly hair? If I were to use it, would I get curly hair too? Is that how it works? It can’t be, I’ve had pin straight hair since the day I was born. Also I don’t think I would look good with curly hair. But Ray does. It suits him. It suits him a lot, actually, I kinda wanna run my hands through it.’

She shook her head slightly, watching the bassoonist on stage. She was impressed by her tone, considering she looked quite young, maybe 9th grade at most. She was barely big enough to play the bassoon, just a petite girl. 

Illi looked down at her hands, black chipped polish on her nails as she clutched the program. She had big hands for a girl. She knew she did. Maybe that made the bassoon easier? 

‘I can feel Frankie staring at me again, goddamn it Frank, fucking find something else to stare at…’ She sighed to herself, looking back over at Frank. 

He, like always, scrambled to look away, cheeks red like he knew what he was doing was creepy. 

‘What a little freak, that guy.’ She smiled to herself, ‘I like him, but man, I think I’ve gotta teach him that staring is rude. Obviously his mom didn’t.’

Chapter Text

After a series of boring instrument workshops, Illi, Mikey, and Ray reunited outside of the conference centre. They had a few hours of free time built into their schedule before dinner, allowing a lot of time for the students to explore the town before they left the following day.

“So… what do you want to do now?” Ray turned to the McMillin siblings, “I think Frank is out with Joe.”

“Why’s he hanging out with Joe?” Illi questioned, and Ray shrugged.

“Probably getting into trouble.” 

“Do you guys wanna see the cool historical landmark I found?” Mikey piped up, looking at the other two.

Illi looked between her brother and Ray. Ray shrugged, “I mean, sure?”

Mikey happily led them through the town, only going around in a circle once rather than the numerous times he had with Pete before, leading them swiftly to Middletona rock.

“Annnnd here it is, Middletona rock.” Mikey gestured proudly at the rock.

Illi and Ray exchanged a glance, and Ray smiled at Mikey, “It’s cool, dude.”

“Mikey, that’s a rock.”

“But it’s a big rock.” Mikey stared up at it, “Isn’t it cool?”

Illi approached the rock cautiously, placing a hand on it, “I guess?”

“I think it’s rad.” Ray nodded, walking around it, “Think we could climb it?”

“NO.” Mikey shouted, a little too quickly and a little too loudly, “No you can’t.”

Illi smirked, “Uh huh?”

Mikey turned to Illi, “Don’t uh huh me. Nothing happened.”

“You sound so guilty right now.” Illi shot back, “What happened here with Pete?”

“Something happened with Pete?” Ray asked as he came around to the front of the rock.

“No! Nothing happened with Pete! God, get off my case, Illi.” Mikey started kicking rocks around with his beat up vans.

He noticed a special rock, one that looked almost exactly like the large rock in front of him, similar in shape and colour, but with a few milky white rings around it. He picked it up, examining it as Illi and Ray pondered the larger rock. Mikey shoved it in the pocket of his skinny jeans, creating a very obvious bump in the front of his pants. 

“Ready to go, Mikey?” Illi asked, and he turned back to them, nodding.

“Sure, whatever.”

~

As the trio entered the hotel lobby, they found Joe, Andy, and Frank sitting on the couch, being lectured at by the band director and a few parents. Frank’s face was red and he was sinking further into the couch, while Joe and Andy were hanging their heads in shame. 

“Whoa, what do you think they did?” Ray muttered as the three of them snuck past to the elevator.

“Beats me, probably something stupid.” Illi let out a soft chuckle, “Dumbasses.”

Mikey had taken the rock out of the pocket of his pants, turning it around in his hand, “Do you think Pete is in his room?”

“I don’t know, text him.” Illi grinned, “I know that’s what you were doing all last night.”

Mikey’s cheeks went pink, “Shut up…”

Ray turned to Illi, smirking; a silent exchange was shared between them. 

As the elevator opened to the 3rd floor, Mikey decided he was going to take the risk and just knock on Pete’s door. He split off from Illi and Ray, and timidly knocked on Pete’s hotel door.

Pete answered it, brows raised as he observed Mikey, “Hi, McMillin.”

“Hi.” Mikey gave a small smile, “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Pete opened the door so he could fully enter the room, “Trick’s just showering, I don’t know where Andy is.”

“Andy’s down in the lobby, I saw him and Joe and Frank getting yelled at.” 

Pete chuckled, “Sounds about right. What brings you here?”

Pete sat down on the bed, gesturing for Mikey to do the same. Before he sat down, he fished the rock out of his pocket, placing it in the center of his palm, holding it out for Pete, “This is for you.”

A smile creeped its way across Pete’s face, “Really? For me, McMillin?”

He gently placed his hand on top of Mikey’s, watching his face for a reaction. Mikey’s cheeks were glowing pink in the dim hotel room.

“Yeah…” Mikey squeaked out, barely audible.

Their eyes met, and Pete found himself lost in Mikey’s glittering hazel eyes, their faces growing closer. Pete was able to count all the lashes framing those beautiful eyes as he leaned in, his heart thumping out of his chest. The white noise from the bathroom had settled and the silence was becoming deafening as they stared at each other; Mikey could feel Pete’s breath against his lips. 

“Have you ever kissed a boy before?” Pete spoke in a low, gravelly voice.

“Well, yeah, Pete, I kissed you that one time when you were drunk at that party.” Patrick called from the bathroom as the door opened.

“TRICK NO!” Pete yelled, shooting up from his seat, “Mikey’s here!”

Patrick yelped, darting back into the bathroom, “I don’t have any clothes! Pete, pass me something!”

Pete ran towards Patrick’s suitcase, gathering a bundle of clothes and tossing it into the bathroom through the open door, “My god, Trick, you can’t just walk out here naked!”

“But we do that all the time!” Patrick whined, “How was I supposed to know Mikey was here?”

“I don’t know! Didn’t you hear him come in??” Pete was flustered; it was the first time Mikey had ever seen him embarrassed, “I’m so sorry, Mikey.”

“It’s okay.” Mikey peeped.

Patrick emerged from the bathroom, a towel draped limply on his head, “Hello Mikey.”

“Hi Patrick.”

“What… brings you here?”

Mikey looked down at his hand to see the rock was gone, “Uh- nothing. I’ll be going now.” 

Mikey stood up and bolted for the door, nearly hitting the door frame as he turned back to say, “See you guys later at dinner!”

~

Illi raised her eyebrows as Mikey scrambled off to Pete’s room and turned down the hall to the room she shared with her brother. “Yet another piece of evidence that something is happening between those two,” she thought with a small huff of laughter. She’d have to ask him about it later.

She unlocked the door to the hotel room and threw her messenger bag down on the bed, flopping down beside it. Illi laid there for a few minutes, content with just the silence and her thoughts. “I think this might be the first time this trip that I am actually alone,” she thought with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn’t that she wanted to be alone right now; Ray was getting a headache and wanted to nap before dinner, Mikey was off dealing with whatever was happening with the Pete situation, and Frank… Well she didn’t really know what Frank was doing. Last she had seen, he was getting lectured in the hotel lobby. She really wondered what that was about. Maybe some eavesdropping was in order.

“Ugh, why do you have to be such a weirdo, Frank Iero.” She muttered to herself, shifting to get up from the bed. On her way out, she grabbed her coin purse and room key and headed down to the lobby on her mission to spy on Frank.

She stood illuminated in the glow of the hotel vending machine, feigning indecision about which soda to choose as she strained her ears to hear what was happening not far away. The hum of the machine blocked out an annoying amount of the sound, so she was only able to hear a few pieces.

“You knew the expectations when coming here-” Illi caught the band director saying, followed by a muffled response from Joe she couldn’t quite make out.

“If we weren’t leaving tomorrow I’d have you all sent home. You got lucky today, but don’t let it happen again, understand? That’s all.” She heard the three boys confirm their understanding and the resigned shuffling of feet headed her way. She snuck a glance over her shoulder, noticing Joe and Andy heading for the elevator together, Frank trailing quite a ways behind.

Illi waited until Frank got a little closer before she inserted her coins into the vending machine and pressed the button for a Dr. Pepper. The drink tumbled down with a clatter, giving her just enough time to announce her presence as Frank made it to the elevator.

“So… what was that all about Frankie?” She asked, opening her soda can with a harsh hiss as she joined him in front of the elevator.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Frank muttered, covering his still-red face with his hands.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it's nothing.”

“It sure didn’t sound like nothing,” Illi scoffed, taking a sip of her soda.

“Were you creeping the whole time?!” Frank exclaimed, his cheeks on fire.

“Not the whole time, but I was there for a while.” She admitted with a grin. “So, what was it about?”

“You’re such a freak,” he muttered.

The elevator dinged as the door slid open, and Illi grabbed his wrist to pull him inside. Frank didn’t think it would be possible for his cheeks to get more red, but somehow they did. “Why did this have to be the way he spent time alone with Illi? Why couldn’t it be something nicer?” He thought bitterly.

The doors slid closed and as Illi stared at him, he felt compelled to tell the truth by her soft green eyes.

“Joe told me last night that he had brought some weed with him and invited me and Andy to join him. Then we thought it would be fun to get tattoos, so I used my fake ID to get in but the guy working was a total narc and not only kicked us out but also called Mr. Maven.” Frank rambled, secretly hoping Illi would find his antics cool.

“In what world would you ever think someone would think you’re 18? You’re a tiny baby.” Illi said with a laugh, then in a dead serious voice said, “Why would you wear anything that would identify you if you were doing things that’d get you in trouble?” She was referencing the name tags that they had been given to wear around their necks for the duration of the trip.

Her gaze was cold, and Frank’s face was once again red as he thought about how Illi’s somewhat scary eye-contact made him feel. The elevator dinged again at their floor, saving him from sitting in those thoughts for much longer.

“Uh- I’ll see you at dinner.” He said quickly, before b-lining it for the room he shared with Ray and Joe. He didn’t even spare a glance back at Illi as she took another sip of her soda as if nothing had happened and walked off towards her room.

~

When Illi returned to her room she was surprised to see Mikey there, laying across his bed, legs hanging off the edge. She had expected that he would still be spending time with Pete, but apparently not.

“Hey Mikey. Scoot over,” Illi said, flopping down beside him after setting her Dr. Pepper down on the sidetable.

“Hey.” Mikey kept staring up at the ceiling but did scoot over a bit to make more room for his sister.

“Soooo… That was a short visit with Pete.” She teased, moving her head slightly to the side to glance at her brother.

Mikey flushed and was silent for a while, still keeping his attention focused on the ceiling. If he stared any harder he might burn a hole in it.

Illi let the silence stretch, only for it to be broken a few minutes later when Mikey exclaimed, “I almost kissed Pete and saw Patrick Stump naked-!”

“What?” Illi laughed, fully turning her head to the side so she could see her brother’s face.

“I went to give Pete that rock I found and we got real close for a bit and then Patrick ruined it by coming out of the shower naked and Pete had to get up to stop him from flashing us and give him clothes.” 

Illi let her brother ramble, laughing softly.

“Man, Patrick is a total buzzkill. And apparently him and Pete always come out of the shower naked around each other, can you believe that?!” Mikey exclaimed, finally turning his head to look at Illi beside him. “Anyways, what did you and Ray do?”

“He went to have a nap. I came here for a bit and then went to spy on Frank. Turns out the lecture he was getting was because he smoked weed with Joe and Andy and then tried to get a tattoo with a fake ID.” 

“Huh.”

“Can I be honest with you, Mikey? And you’ll promise not to tell him that I said this?”

“Go for it.”

“Frank’s really been getting on my nerves this trip. He’s just being such a weirdo all the time. Like, I knew he was an idiot but why would he try to get a tattoo? No one in their right mind would ever think that kid was over 18.” She said, it was now her turn to stare blankly up at the ceiling.

“He’s only like 3 apples tall.”

“Exactly. The weed thing is whatever, it's not like we haven’t tried that, but it feels like a cry for attention. And he’s always staring at me! Like find someone else to look at, you creep!” She turned her head to look at her brother again.

“Well, that’s probably because Frank has a massive crush on you.” Mikey blinked at her, “I didn’t want to tell you because of the whole Ray thing.”

She furrowed her brows, “What Ray thing?”

Mikey quirked a brow, “Y’know… You and Ray?”

“What about me and Ray?”

“Like how all trip you've been slipping off together. And he's always sitting next to you. You seriously didn’t notice?”

She let out a laugh, smacking her brother without looking, nailing him directly in the gut, “Don’t be ridiculous, Mikey - Ray and I are just friends.”

Mikey grunted, clutching his stomach, “Ow- What was that for?!”

“Because! Why would Ray have a crush on me?” She rolled back to stare at the ceiling, “We’ve known each other since we were kids.. He- he wouldn’t be into me.”

“Why not?”

Illi frowned, “Because Ray is straight.”

“Last I checked you’re a girl.”

“Fuck off, you know what I mean.” She sighed.

“I don’t think Ray cares about labels as much as you think he does.” Mikey reached over to ruffle her hair, and she grumbled in response.

Chapter Text

“Illi, you are formally invited to my Super Smash Bros Melee tournament in my room after dinner.” Patrick approached Illi as the band meandered over to The Vine: Pizza & Pasta for group dinner.

“Okay?” Illi chuckled softly, “I can’t say I’m particularly good at Smash Bros, but I’ll play.”

“Michael, Franklin, and Raymond are also invited, if you would pass along the message.” 

“Sure, I can do that.” She watched as Patrick nearly tripped as he ran back up ahead to walk with Joe and Andy.

Mikey and Pete were walking together, which warmed Illi’s heart. She liked that Mikey seemed happy. 

~

“So, I’ve created a bracket system for our tournament.” Patrick held up a piece of paper, which was the back of Pete’s music, and laid it down on the floor in front of the hotel’s TV, which had Patrick’s Gamecube hooked up to it.

Illi peered at it, “Why am I going against Mikey in round one?”

“Because, we wanted to see the siblings battle it out.” Pete grinned, “I’m gonna whoop Trick’s butt. I’m so good at Smash Bros.”

Something about Pete’s bravado made Illi think he was absolutely full of shit. She would just have to find out later.

“Well, Mikes, who are you picking?” Illi asked, turning to him as she picked up one of the controllers.

Mikey turned to Illi, a smirk on his face, “Pichu.”

“Oh my god, you always pick Pichu! And I whoop your ass every time!” Illi groaned, “Pick something else, please, make it worth it.”

“Nah, Pichu’s dope.” Mikey shrugged.

“I agree.” Pete interjected, bringing a hand to Mikey’s shoulder, “He’s cute.”

Mikey’s blush was not missed by Illi, who kicked him before selecting Captain Falcon and choosing the white and pink colour variation.

“Are you picking pink Captain Falcon?” Patrick laughed.

“I sure am!” Illi grinned, “I like him.”

Patrick huffed, sitting back against the bed, “I wanna see how you play, McMillin.”

Illi rolled her eyes, selecting no items (as per Patrick’s request), and started the round. Her battle against Mikey wasn’t a long one, as Mikey notoriously sucked at Melee. He fell off the stage, eliminating 2 of his 3 stocks, and Illi was quick to finish him off. Mikey gave her a high five after, and went up to Pete’s bed to sit with him.

The next round was Frank vs Ray. When Illi passed her controller to Ray, he gave her a big grin, “You’re better at this then you let on, Illi.”

“Nah, Mikey just sucks.”

Ray laughed, sitting next to her on the floor, “Who should I pick?”

“You’ve gotta pick with your heart, Toro.”

Ray flicked between characters, “How about Link? I like Legend of Zelda.”

“Sure, he’s alright.”

“Then I’ll be Ganondorf.” Frank grinned, “So I can beat you up!”

Illi snorted, “Nerd.”

Frank stuck his tongue out at Illi, who returned the gesture.

Their battle also didn’t last long, as Frank barely knew how to play, and Ray, being the youngest of 3 brothers, was well-versed in fighting games.

“No fair!” Frank pouted, “I want a round 2!”

“It’s not my fault that you picked the character with the worst recovery!” Ray playfully punched Frank, who whined loudly.

“Illi! Ray’s being mean!”

“Ray is absolutely not being mean, you’re just being a baby.” Illi laughed, getting up so Pete and Patrick could sit in front of the TV.

She sat down on the bed, and Mikey quickly switched to go sit with Pete on the floor. Ray sat beside her, their arms pressed together. Frank sat on the floor being a sore loser, muttering something to himself.

“Good job, Ray.” She rested her head against his as they watched Pete and Patrick select their characters.

“Thanks.” He grinned, “All that time getting owned by my brothers has paid off, for at least one round.”

Her eyes glazed over as she watched Pete and Patrick. Pete had picked Bowser, which was not a great choice, and Patrick had picked Peach. She crinkled her nose, listening to Patrick trying to explain that he played Peach because she was “a high tier character” as if anyone believed him. He just wanted to play as the pretty girl. She relayed this in a whisper to Ray, who fought back a giggle.

Patrick won, to no one’s surprise, and Pete immediately made his way back to Mikey, Illi watched them as Andy and Joe set up for their round, Pete and Mikey’s thighs touching. Andy and Joe’s round was mostly uneventful, but longer than any of the other matches. Andy was playing as Fox, and Joe was playing as Kirby, and Andy exhibited some actual strategies, which made Illi nervous. Andy could actually beat Illi, if it came to it.

Andy beat Joe, to a smattering of bored applause. Illi looked over at her brother to notice him and Pete were missing. 

‘I bet I know where those two went…’ She thought to herself, ‘Gross, I hope they don’t do it on my bed. Please Mikey… Have the decency to use your own bed.’

~

“You totally threw that,” Pete turned to whisper in Mikey’s ear, “At least I tried.”

Mikey shrugged, whispering back, “I don’t really care about this smash bros tournament. I think I’m gonna go back to my room.”

Pete’s hand snuck around to Mikey’s lower back, “Why don’t you show me your room…?”

Mikey turned to Pete, “It’s.. just like this one…?”

Pete’s smirk didn’t falter, “Why don’t you show me anyways…?”

Mikey’s eyes widened when he clued in, “O-oh! Yeah- yeah, I can do that.”

Mikey and Pete quickly slipped out of the hotel room, and into Mikey’s room, which was empty due to Illi still being absorbed by the tournament in Patrick’s room.  

“Here, I can turn on the light-“ Mikey turned to look for the light, but Pete’s hands settled on the other boy’s hips, keeping him from moving. 

“I like the mood lighting, McMillin. I think it adds to the atmosphere.”

Mikey felt himself blush, “What kind of atmosphere?”

Pete felt himself lean in, “The romantic kind.”

Mikey’s face was definitely red, “Sounds gay.”

“It definitely is, McMillin,” Pete brought a hand up to cup his face, “As I was asking earlier… have you ever kissed a boy?”

Mikey swallowed hard, heart racing, “No…”

“Do you want to?”

Mikey’s heart dropped. He did. He really did. Something about Pete intrigued him like no other. He wasn’t sure if his feelings were romantic, platonic, sexual or some sort of fourth mystery option, but he was so curious what it would feel like to kiss him. 

“I think I do.” Mikey finally whispered back. 

Pete’s lips softly met Mikey’s, quickly pulling away to watch the other boy’s reaction. Mikey opened his eyes to look at Pete. 

“What do you think?” Pete asked, smirking, “Better or worse than kissing girls?”

“Better. More exciting.” Mikey muttered, “Can we do it again?”

Pete’s response was to bring his lips back to Mikey’s, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Mikey found his hands on Pete’s waist, pulling him in closer. 

Pete pulled Mikey towards him by his hips, grinding up against him, feeling both of their jeans tighten at the friction of it. Mikey’s hands ran up Pete’s back, his shirt riding up. Mikey didn’t know where to put his hands. When he kissed girls he put his hands on their waist, but with Pete he wasn’t sure. 

Pete pulled his lips from Mikey’s to start kissing down the other boy’s neck, causing Mikey’s breathing to quicken as he kissed along the sensitive skin of his neck. Pete removed himself from Mikey’s neck and hooked his fingers through Mikey’s belt loops, pulling him towards Mikey’s bed. 

Mikey and Pete crashed onto the bed, both of them barely fitting side by side on the double, Pete’s lips quickly finding Mikey’s again. Pete’s kiss was passionate and almost aggressive, something Mikey had never experienced with girls before. 

Mikey found himself underneath as Pete hovered over him, pressing kisses into his neck. “Y’like that, McMillin?” Pete murmured into his ear. 

Mikey nodded, squeaking out a response, “I do.”

“Y’know I wouldn’t mind if some clothes came off…” Pete smirked, “If you know what I mean.”

Mikey was pretty sure his heart was going to explode with how hard it was pounding against his chest, “Y-yeah I think I know what you mean.”

Pete sat back on his heels, slowly removing his t-shirt. Mikey watched in awe, mouth agape. Pete was hot, but Mikey wasn’t expecting him to be this hot.

“Like what you see?” Pete had that egotistical smirk on his face. 

“I do.” Mikey nodded, “You have a tattoo.”

Mikey’s hand reached for just above Pete’s studded belt, tracing the outline of the bat heart tattoo. Pete watched him, feeling electricity sparking from Mikey’s touch. 

“Think it’s cool?” Pete asked, trying not to let Mikey see how crazy his touch was making him. 

“I think it’s fuckin’ awesome.” Mikey muttered, “How’d you do it?”

“Fake ID.” Pete brought his hand to Mikey’s, removing him from his stomach, “Your turn, McMillin.”

Mikey sat up, almost bonking into Pete, and removed his Anthrax t-shirt, tossing it off to the side. He adjusted his glasses, staring up at Pete. 

Pete was looking over Mikey’s bare chest, and pushed him back onto the bed, taking in the sight of his milky white complexion. He brought a hand to Mikey’s face, allowing it to travel down his neck, to his chest, and down his waist. 

“You’re hot, Mikey.” Pete spoke softly, in a genuine tone that Mikey wasn’t used to hearing from Pete. 

“You’re hot too.” Mikey whispered, reaching a hand up to Pete’s face, pulling him in for another kiss. 

Pete’s lips trailed down Mikey’s neck, and Mikey let out a soft groan, much to Pete’s amusement. 

“If you give me a hickey I’ll fucking kill you…” Mikey muttered. 

“Why don’t I give you one where you can hide it?” Pete smirked against his neck, kissing further down his body. 

Pete’s kisses down Mikey’s chest and then to his waist felt so much different than girls. Girls didn’t pay this much attention to him, it was usually the other way around. Mikey felt small, like he was in the opposite role. 

Pete’s slight scruff tickled as he kissed Mikey’s sensitive waist, causing him to buck his hips up involuntarily. Pete brought a hand to Mikey’s hips, keeping them down. He kissed and nipped at the skin of Mikey’s waist, sucking small purple bruises along his soft stomach. 

They were interrupted by Mikey’s phone ringing, and Mikey scrambled to grab it, flipping it open to answer it. 

“Hello?” He asked, trying not to sound out of breath.

“Mikes, dude, you gotta get back here,” Ray’s excited tone made Mikey smile a little, “Illi’s totally whooping Patrick’s ass.”

He could hear excited cheering coming through the receiver, and Mikey had to fight back a groan as Pete continued to kiss along his waist, “Uh- yeah- I- I’ll be there in a sec.”

He flicked the phone closed, looking down at Pete, who was resting his head on Mikey’s stomach, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes from between his legs. 

“Do we have to go back?”

“Well, yeah, I think. Illi’s whooping Patrick’s ass.”

“Mmm..” Pete hummed, pecking one last kiss to Mikey’s stomach, “I’ll have to deal with the moaning and groaning- not the kind I want to deal with. If I was dealing with your moaning I think I’d be having a much better time.”

Pete punctuated his sentence with a wink, pushing himself off the bed to go find his shirt. 

Mikey laid there for a moment, trying not to pass out from how hard his heart was beating. He rolled onto his side, watching Pete put his shirt back on. Pete reached down, tossing Mikey’s shirt back to him. Mikey caught it, and their eyes met. 

“Can we.. do this again?” Mikey asked timidly. 

Pete smirked, “Did you think that was it? Of course I want to do this again.”

Mikey pulled his t-shirt back on, shrugging, “Just making sure.”

~

“It’s Illi and Ray’s turn!” Patrick announced, scribbling their names on the bracket.

“Aw, Illi, I don’t wanna battle you.” Ray smiled as they sat down together on the floor.

“Don’t go easy on me, Toro, I expect you’ll bring your best game.” She grinned at him, playfully shoving his shoulder.

“I will, I will, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!” He kept a playful smirk on his face as they started the round.

Ray put up a good fight, but he was no match for pink Captain Falcon, piloted by the underdog, Illi McMillin. She started to feel pretty confident as she defeated him, pumping her fist in the air.

“Whoa, McMillin, better than I thought you’d do.” Patrick called out.

“Don’t underestimate me, Patrick!” Illi pointed at him.

She looked up at Ray, who had already stood, holding out his hand to help her up. She took it gratefully, and he shook her hand after she was upright.

“Good game, Illi.”

“Good game, Toro.” She looked down at their hands, then back up at his warm brown eyes, “You put up a good fight.”

“As did you.” He pulled her in for a side hug, leading them back to the bed to sit and watch the next round.

She felt her cheeks go pink, warm in Ray’s embrace. They watched as Andy and Patrick set up for their round, and for the first time in the tournament, Patrick looked nervous. Andy was a formidable opponent, who was playing a high tier character and had actual skill. Illi was nervous for the last round, because no matter who won, she was in for a challenge. 

“You’re gonna do great, Illi.” Ray whispered in her ear, as if he could read her mind, or maybe he just sensed her nerves, “I believe in you.”

She wrapped her arm around his, whispering back, “Thank you, Ray.”

She liked the way his cheeks flushed pink whenever they were close like this. Ray didn’t do well with close contact, and he was easily flustered. Or, at least, that’s what she attributed it to. She wouldn’t dare tell a soul, but she liked counting the freckles on Ray’s cheeks when he wasn’t looking.

Finally, in a stroke of good luck, Patrick came out on top, shouting as he beat Andy. Joe and Ray clapped as Patrick and Andy shook hands, and Illi wiped her sweaty hands against her skirt. 

“Good luck, Illi!” Ray called out as Illi took her seat next to Patrick.

“Ready, gamer boy?” Illi quirked a brow at him.

“Whenever you’re ready, McMillin.”

They selected their characters, and the battle was on. Illi, being the button mashing queen she was, knew she had to have some sort of strategy to knock him down a stock or two. She remembered seeing a few when she watched Joe and Andy just a few rounds ago, and began to implement them as best she could. 

As they got down to a stock each, Illi felt herself begin to really sweat, her heart racing. She had to beat Patrick, she just had to. He was such a dick, especially right now.

“Are you hiding from me, McMillin?” He teased, “You can’t just keep spamming your special and running away.”

“I can do whatever I want, loser.” She retorted, “I’m gonna Falcon Punch you in the nuts!”

“Falcon Punch! Falcon Punch!” Joe began to chant, and soon, the whole room was chanting along with him. 

Illi watched as their damage percentage rose, and she felt her heart racing in her chest. This was it, if she could stall for just a bit longer, she could try to edge guard or go for a grab. 

“You’re being a coward, McMillin, come up here and fight me.”

Illi furrowed her brows, “Come down here and fight me instead.”

She thought back to a maneuver she saw Andy pull on Joe, where he baited him down, and flipped his character around to deliver a special. It was a long shot, but it could work. Patrick took the bait, and she began charging her special, Falcon Punch, in the opposite direction. 

“This is it!” He sneered, “Say goodbye, McMillin.”

She flicked the controller joystick just in time, and Captain Falcon spun around, delivering a loud, “Falcon Punch!” as the charged attack sent Peach flying off the screen, and the announcer shouted, “Game!”

The room erupted with cheers, multiple hands on Illi, congratulating her. Patrick was whining about her getting lucky as Illi was lifted to her feet, the boys cheering around her. Even Frank was taken out of his funk by Illi’s victory over the shared evil, and he pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, laughing. 

“Get pwned, Patrick!” Frank sneered at him, “She totally whooped your butt.”

She turned to Patrick, extending her hand out to him, “Good game, Patrick.”

He pouted, but shook Illi’s hand anyway, “Good game, I guess.”

Chapter Text

The bus ride back from the trip was much less chaotic than the ride there. A bus full of exhausted teenagers allowed for the adults to finally breathe, everyone leaning back in their seats and snoozing. 

Due to misbehaviour from the day before, Frank, Joe, and Andy were sentenced to sitting up at the front. Andy was sat next to a parent, Joe was sat next to Mr. Maven, and Frank, who got the worst fate of them all, was sat next to Patrick. 

Patrick, unlike the rest of the bus, was wide awake, yapping on and on about whatever he felt like, much to the amusement of Illi, who was sitting near the back of the bus with Ray. 

“Poor Frankie…” She chuckled, leaning against the window, looking over at Ray, "Condemned to sitting with Stump the whole way home.”

“Seems like a reward to Patrick,” Ray watched as Patrick’s mouth continued to move, but he couldn’t actually make out the exact words. 

Illi had taken out her sketchbook and was sketching softly next to Ray, who had his earbuds in. Ray was lazily watching her pencil scritch across the page, his eyes following the graphite tip. 

“Whatcha listening to?” Illi asked, breaking the soft silence. 

Ray took an earbud out, handing it to Illi, a wordless gesture for her to listen for herself. She placed the earbud in, the sounds of dense guitar chords and smooth bass filled her ears, and the very recognizable voice of Ozzy Osbourne. 

“Sabbath.” She nodded. 

“Volume 4.” He responded, laying his head back on the seat, “Hearing Tony Iommi for the first time changed my life.”

Illi nodded, letting the music soak into her ears, leaning her head back to match Ray’s. She liked some Black Sabbath, sure, but she didn’t know Ray liked Black Sabbath. That she wanted to remember. 

She flipped to a fresh page, starting a new sketch, inspired by the new soundtrack in her left ear. 

Meanwhile, behind them, Pete and Mikey were sitting together at the back of the bus. Pete was watching as Mikey gazed out of the window, watching the trees blur by. Mikey’s hand was resting between them, and Pete was fighting every urge within his body that wanted to intertwine his fingers with Mikey’s. 

Mikey’s body, his spirit, was addictive to Pete. He wanted to bathe in it. If Pete could spend every day with his hands all over Mikey, their limbs intertwined under bedsheets, he would. His daydreams about Mikey were of course ever growing since they had that special moment on Middletona rock. That make out session wasn’t enough, Pete wanted Mikey, and he wanted him badly. Scratch that- he needed touch from Mikey. Anything. Some kind of acknowledgment that something happened the day before. Something that was real and not just platonic. 

Pete’s pinky touched Mikey’s, and Mikey looked over at him, lazily searching his face for some explanation. Pete’s eyes locked onto his, and he found the courage to intertwine their pinkies. Mikey let out a half smile, opening his hand palm up for Pete. He took his hand on his own, intertwining their fingers. 

Satisfied with the returned feelings, Pete found himself falling asleep, fingers lazily laced together. 

~

As the band stopped off at a rest stop, Illi made sure to stay next to Ray, not wanting a repeat of the bus ride there. Ray offered to get her a coffee, but she declined, she didn’t really need the coffee, she was content to catch up on some much needed sleep on the bus. Instead, the two wandered through the gas station, picking up a few snacks. 

They watched as Frank bounded up to them, looking particularly haggard, “Guys.”

Illi tilted her head at him, “Yes?”

“Patrick won’t shut up.”

“We’ve noticed.” Ray chuckled, grabbing Illi’s snacks and paying for them before she could object. 

“Like seriously, I didn’t know that someone could talk that much about music and be that fucking boring about it.” 

Illi sighed, wondering if the hypocrisy was lost on Frank. It was. He had no idea how annoying he had been on the trip, talking Illi’s ears off at any and every point he could. 

“Maybe try to get some sleep?” She offered. 

“Sleep is for the weak, I’m gonna get a Monster.”

“Maybe pretend to sleep so Patrick will stop talking?” Ray suggested, placing the snacks in his backpack.

“It won’t work, I’ve already tried.” Frank rolled his eyes, “I think I’ll just have to try to space out so hard I end up on another planet. If only I could smoke some dope-“

“Don’t say that so loud.” Illi shushed him, “God, it’s like you want to get in trouble.” 

Frank bit his lip ring, staring up at Illi, “I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“I’m pretty convinced you do.” She snapped at him. 

His eyes darted between her and Ray, dark frustration brewing behind them, “God, Illi, nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

He huffed off into the store, and Ray led Illi away to go stand under a smattering of trees nearby. 

“Frankie’s in a mood, huh?” Ray tried to bring the mood up, watching Illi intensely. 

She shrugged, leaning up against a tree, “I don’t even blame him. I just need to spend some time away from him. Honestly from the whole band. This trip has been exhausting.”

Ray chuckled, passing her the Dr. Pepper, then opened his own Sprite, “I can leave you alone for the rest of the ride if you need some alone time.”

She cracked hers open, taking a small swig, “You don’t count, Toro, you’re you.”

“I guess I am me.” He looked up at the green leaves of the trees, “Spending time with you always feels really good. It has always felt like that.”

She nodded, following his gaze, “I agree.”

The blow of the band director’s whistle caused them to both make their way back to the bus quickly, not wanting to be left behind. They were giggling by the time they made their way back to their seats. 

Illi tucked the rest of her drink away, laying her head on Ray’s shoulder, tucking her arm around his, nuzzling into his warmth. He laid his head on hers, enveloping her in his curls. She giggled, blowing out a bit of air, watching the curls bounce in front of her. 

“Oh, sorry, you got buried.” He chuckled, lifting his head to pull his curls behind his ear. 

“No, no, don’t worry about it.” She muttered, “I like it. They’re soft.”

‘And they smell so good.’ She thought to herself, ‘Kinda like coconut, or something? A little citrusy?’

She wasn’t good at identifying scents, but she knew Ray’s like the back of her hand. It brought her so much comfort. She had spent many nights at the Toro home, as she’s known Ray since elementary.

‘And that’s why Ray doesn’t have a crush on me. He wouldn’t. We’ve been friends for too long, he wouldn’t just get a crush on me like that. Mikey’s definitely just thinking about his own crush on Pete.’ She thought to herself, feeling Ray’s body relax as he settled in his seat, ‘Surely that has to be it, right?’

~

Upon arriving back in town, Illi was gently shook awake by Ray. His large hands were stroking her greasy hair, and her eyes fluttered open, her eyes meeting Ray’s. 

“Hi.” Ray spoke softly, “We’re almost back at school.”

“Already?” Illi scrunched her eyes closed, then opened them, “I could’ve sworn we still had an hour.”

“You fell asleep on me for a while there.” He chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

She blushed, “Oh, sorry, I hope I didn’t bother you.”

“You never bother me, Illi.” He smiled, “You obviously really needed the rest. Feel free to use me as a pillow any time.” 

She looked out the window at the familiar landscape, “So… one more concert before the summer.”

“That’s right.” Ray nodded, “Final concert and then we’re off for summer. Then it’s our last year.”

She paused, pondering the idea, “Right. I guess it will be.”

“I have a final concert with the youth orchestra too… if you wanted to come see that.” He suggested, “I’ll give you a poster, if you want. Or not- that’s okay-“

“I would love to come see you.” She smiled, “I love watching you play.” 

As the students started to stand and file off the bus, Illi and Ray waited, watching them. They were in no rush to get up and go home to be questioned by their parents on every detail of the trip. When it was their turn to get up, Illi turned to look at her brother, whose cheeks seemed to be a permanent state of rosy when he was next to Pete. Pete had a lazy smirk on his face, walking with them out of the bus. 

“Pete! There you are! I was wondering where you were sitting.” Patrick exclaimed as the friends were reunited. 

“Sorry Trick, I was sitting with Mikey.” Pete chuckled, “How was sitting with Frank?”

Patrick looked over at Frank, then back at Pete, “Uh. I’ll tell you later.”

Frank’s eyes met Illi’s, then he turned away, walking away towards his mom’s car, not a word spoken. 

“You pissed off Frankie.” Mikey noted as he stood next to his sister. 

Illi looked over at Ray, hoping he would offer an explanation. Ray sighed. 

“I think he’s just tired from the trip. I’m sure he’ll be back to normal soon. Just give him a few days.” Ray suggested, “I know I’ll be sleeping for the whole weekend, so don’t expect to hear from me.”

“If I don’t see you on Monday I will call your house.” Illi teased.

“Hello? Mrs. Toro? Is your son dead?” He held his hand up to his ear like a phone, mocking her in a playfully high pitched tone. 

“Mrs. Toro?” Mikey joined in on the playful banter, and Illi smacked both of them. 

“Shut up, let’s put our instruments back in the room and go home.” She rolled her eyes, stepping towards the gear truck.