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Zooble had never seen Jax look more upset than he did in that dress.
And it was funny.
At first.
Until they started to realize the look on his face looked a little too familiar. It was a feeling Zooble knew all too well.
Oh.
Shit.
We crossed a line...
And they stopped laughing.
Jax was covering his chest, and he looked mortified. His pupils had been reduced to tiny scribbles. "Get this stupid thing off me!"
He looked like he was about to run and hide.
"Guys..." Zooble said slowly. "I vote to put Jax back in his regular clothing."
Everybody paused and looked at them in confusion. They were the last person who would usually suggest that.
"Why?" Gangle spoke up.
Zooble paused, not wanting to out Jax. "Just... Just trust me on this, okay?"
Everybody still looked confused, but a second later Jax was back in his overalls. Everybody had listened to them.
Jax looked relieved. He opened his mouth for a second, but for once in his life was silent.
Back at the circus, Zooble approached Jax. "Hey... I'm sorry about the dress. I wouldn't have said yes if I knew..."
"Just forget it." Jax muttered, staring at the wall.
"You don't have to keep this secret, you know. Nobody here would judge you..."
"I said forget it!" He snapped.
"I'm just trying to talk to you! What is so scary about telling anybody here anything about yourself? You're stuck with us whether you like it or not."
They started to walk away, but paused and turned back. "I get it. You know I do. I'm here if you want to talk. It'd be nice to have someone who actually understands."
As they left, they could have sworn they heard Jax mumble a "Thanks" under his breath.