Fuck yesterday's Alexander, AJ said as Alex trudged from the library to the dining hall the next day. Guy's a fucking dick.
Tell me about it, Alex thought back miserably. He had pretty much spent the night at Jack's, though not much sleep was accomplished. He had been too upset and stressed about too much. His uncle's "solution" to what happened. What he was going to do when he had to face Matthew again? Having to cut off ties with Eloise. And once Jack managed to coax him from those psychological ledges, he remembered he had a chemistry quiz he was woefully underprepared for, and all his class materials were sitting in his flat. If Jack had been awake, he may have tossed aside what little pride he had and asked him to get it, but he was already asleep. So instead, Alex went back to his flat around 5:30, when he hoped Matthew would be sleeping as well. He ran in and out with his things as quickly as he could. He didn't even change into his uniform, just grabbed it so he could change in the bathroom outside the library. Then as soon as the library opened at six, he went inside and tried his damned best at studying.
Study all you want, jackass, AJ chided as the formulas and reactions blurred and swam across his vision. Won't do you any good when you use the exam as your pillow.
Once he noticed the library's ostentatious wall clock had reached seven, he packed everything up and headed for the dining hall. Once he was done cursing yesterday's Alexander, he started estimating how many cups of coffee he could reasonably consume in the hour he had before classes started. He was in the middle of debating if he should just ask Jack if he had any of his foul energy drinks on hand when a familiar head of curly hair caught his attention. Eloise, back in her uniform and walking arm in arm with...
Matthew, AJ said as if his name was a curse. Don't do it.
I need to talk to her, Alex argued back. I can't just stop talking to her without explanation. She deserves better than that.
Do it later, at least.
If I don't do it now, I never will. You know that.
Fine. Your funeral.
Alex ignored the sane part of his mind that was getting concerned at how easily he was having conversations with himself and forged ahead. He hoped he looked confident, but he knew he looked scared shitless as he approached them. Eloise must have spotted him out of her periphery before he had a chance to call her name because she suddenly stopped walking and turned her head to face him. Matthew turned his head too, and Alex almost turned and ran to get away from his blank stare. It was like he was looking through him, at nothing. That was by far the worst look he had gotten from Matthew yet. But Alex resisted that tempting urge and just slowed his pace as Eloise unlinked their arms.
"I'll meet you at the dining hall, okay?" she said to Matthew. He looked for a moment like he was debating whether or not to listen. "Go, it's fine." Matthew didn't say anything, but he did slowly nod and went on ahead. Once he was gone Alex closed the distance between them.
"You look like shit," Ellie observed. "I would blame Mattie's music but he's not had a chance to get a new stereo yet. Plus, he said you didn't go back to the flat after you talked with your uncle."
"Yeah, just the regular kind of insomnia," Alex said. "Eloise, I'm so-"
"Don't apologize, Alex. It wasn't your fault. And it would have happened even if you hadn't been there. Those idiots saying you called Greene in to mess with us don't know what they're talking about. I'd be offended if you thought I believed them."
"I didn't know that's something people were saying."
"Oh. Well, it's a small minority. And Matthew doesn't believe it either, for the record. He just..."
"I know exactly why Matthew is angry at me. And he's got every right to be. I should have tried to stop Malcolm. I was too scared. Of him, and what my family would say if I had gotten involved."
"Matthew is expecting too much from you. Besides," Eloise held out a hand and cupped Alex's chin to get a look at his lip. His cut was small and scabbed over, just barely still visible, "Mattie gets on so well with his own family that I think he genuinely forgets that's not the case for everyone."
Alex didn't move her hand, or even feel the need to squirm at how easily she figured out the source of his cut. Maybe Baptiste told her, but he had a feeling that wasn't the case.
"My... my family is actually what I want to talk to you about. Kind of. It- it's something my uncle mentioned yesterday. When he heard we were..."
"Friends?"
"Well, he thought we might be trying to be more than friends."
"Oh... were we?"
"I- were you?"
"I'll admit it crossed my mind." Eloise smiled very briefly, but it faltered almost immediately. "But then that thought would usually be followed by all the reasons that it would be a bad idea. You being you and me being me and all that... Am I the reason your uncle-"
"No. But he told me to stop 'whatever it is we're doing', to paraphrase. I'll spare you the cruder part."
"He thinks we're Romeo and Juliet?"
"That's a nicer way to put it, sure."
"And I suppose if you tell him we're just friends, he wouldn't believe that."
"No. Though even if he did, not sure he'd be happy with that either."
Eloise sighed. "Two lovers torn asunder before their affection even had a chance to bloom. Sad."
"I genuinely am. Sad. I've enjoyed talking with you. You're a great girl."
Eloise suddenly looked shy. "I've warned you about flattering me, Alex," she mumbled. "Can I ask, since it seems I've nothing to lose at this point, did you think about it? About... me? Like that?"
"I... I thought about if I did think about it," he said before shaking his head. "Sorry, that made no sense, did it?"
"No, I think it did. Any conclusions?"
"I think... I think if I could have a sister, I would want her to be just like you. I know Jack's told me that girls don't like hearing that-"
"No, don't be sorry," Eloise interrupted. She sounded a bit choked up, and her eyes were shining. "I have a feeling that's high marks, from you. I'm honoured. Do you think we could still sit next to others in art?"
"I want to but... Well, I think that might make it harder to not be friends."
"I see. I'm just that alluring, huh?"
"Do you think you would be alright sitting next to Jack?"
"Suppose it would be kind of me to finally make good on that 'ask me tomorrow' spiel, wouldn't it? He won't run into the same problem?"
"Jack's family is used to him having all sorts of friends. Plus, he's really good at not caring about what they think anyways. Some old family kids might have a new reason to be rude if they think anything of it. But I doubt they will, they know Jack is just social. And that he would sock them if they tried anything extreme."
"My prince charming."
"You know he likes to act like a playboy, but I don't think that's his nature. You should give him a shot if you want."
"I'll see how he does with his new privilege, then go from there."
"He'll be happy about that."
"Maybe we can use him to send messages back and forth. Like a little messenger pigeon."
"The Pony Express," Alex said, causing Eloise to snort.
"Oh, I'll be pulling that one out on him."
"Feel free to take credit, I think I'm one more horse joke away from him punching me again."
"Here's hoping he lets me get away with it, then. See you around, Alex."
"Bye, Ellie. I hope you dazzle your chemistry professor."
"I'll certainly try my best."
Alex stood in place and watched Eloise go, and once she was out of sight he went in the same direction. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings until he reached the dining hall. He happened to lock eyes with one of Malcolm's friends whom he recognized as having been at the party. He looked away as soon as they made eye contact. Alex was almost sure he looked guilty. He wondered if the boy had enough sense to feel bad about what had happened. About how he had just watched as well.
Alex continued to his usual table but stopped short when he saw Warren sitting there by himself, reading a book over his breakfast like he usually did. He thought for a minute he had mixed up the tables, but when he looked around, he saw Warren's usual group at their usual spot. They all looked like they thought nothing was out of the ordinary, except Isaac. He kept looking over at his cousin with a worried expression every few seconds.
As Alex was debating whether or not he should sit somewhere else, Warren looked up from his book. He seemed to notice Alex's hesitation and waved him over.
"Sorry," he said as Alex approached. "Guess it was rude to take this spot without permission. I can move if-"
"Oh, it's fine," Alex insisted. "I just got confused. Didn't know if you weren't sitting with them because you wanted to be left alone."
Warren glanced at his friend group. Isaac was still the only one who was acknowledging the fact that he wasn't with them. "Only by them," Warren said. "Though I'm not sure they've noticed I'm gone."
"Not that I'm asking you to leave," Alex said as he sat down, "but why was this your first choice as an alternative? You're friends with Mary too, right? Or was she being awful on Saturday?"
"No, she was too busy playing hostess to notice what Malcolm was saying and doing. But friends is a bit of a stretch." Warren glanced around and leaned in to start speaking in a hushed tone. "It's not been announced yet, but our families agreed on our engagement right before school started."
"Really?"
"My dad was set on finding a Japanese old family, but all the ones he thought were 'adequate' enough never liked the fact that he married my mum. That I'm mixed."
"Oh. Sorry."
Warren shrugged. "My dad's the only one with a chip on his shoulder about it. And I guess I'm pretty lucky with Mary. She's nice enough. She doesn't mind that I'm a bit boring. But we've never got much to talk about. Honestly, the less time we spend together is probably for the better. So we don't use up all our potential conversations before the wedding."
"I don't think you're boring."
"Yeah? What do you think I am?"
Alex panicked for a second, not expecting the question. But he relaxed slightly when Warren smiled good-naturedly. "I don't know," Alex admitted. "I always thought you seemed too nice to hang out with Hannah so much."
"I learned to drown out the frequency of her voice a couple of years ago. It comes in handy."
Alex chuckled. "You should teach me how to do that."
"I think you're too nice to ignore someone like that. Even someone like Hannah."
"Maybe I should learn how to stop being nice then."
"There are times when a little meanness can do some good. But I'd say being too nice is one of the better eccentricities to have. Rare in our circles. I've heard your father is a kind man too."
Lots of good that's done him, AJ quipped while Alex nodded. "He is," Alex said instead. "But he's braver than me. At least he knows when to put his foot down when it matters. And he never holds back what he's thinking."
"Maybe you just need to work on achieving a bit of balance," Warren suggested.
"You were right, by the way. About my uncle not wanting to punish Malcolm."
"Yeah, I heard whispers that all he got was suspension for changing. The rest was called roughhousing and forgiven?"
"Yes."
Warren turned his head to look at the table with scholarship students. The air over there was significantly more sombre than it had been the week before. Alex noticed Eloise picking at a muffin and Matthew was staring at his cup of coffee. Baptiste wasn't there.
"I'm surprised your flatmate is letting them get away with that," he said. "From what I've heard he didn't seem the type. Did Malcolm scare him that bad?"
"I don't know. I overheard him talking to his mother on the phone. He didn't even mention what happened to her. All he talked about was the broken stereo."
Warren nodded as if that made perfect sense. "He doesn't want her to worry," he explained when he noticed how Alex looked confused. "She hears all the nasty things people say about her son just as easily as we do."
"Do you also not want your parents to worry about you?"
"They already threaten your uncle with my withdrawal if a single hair on my delicate little head is harmed?"
"Yes. You think they're overreacting."
"I can handle myself. But I know they don't think that way. I'll admit there's a part of me that's relieved your uncle is sweeping this under the rug. My parents would not be happy if they heard."
"You won't tell them."
"No. All they would do is pull me out. Nothing would be solved and your uncle would just have one more thing to be pissed about. My parents are good at acting scandalized by problems like these. Not quite as good at committing to ways to solve them." Warren's lips curled up in a displeased smile. "Though I suppose you can say the same about me."
"You were going to stop Malcolm," Alex pointed out. "You just got interrupted by my uncle."
"Who knows what I would have done if I caught up to him? He is bigger than me. Stronger than me too. Flora wyverns aren't much good in a fight. Especially against his type."
"I think you would have done something," Alex insisted. "I froze."
"He's bigger than you too. Besides, our positions are not exactly one-to-one. What we do reflects on our families, and yours is the one trying to convince everyone everything is fine here. Harder for the king to sell the lie that we're in peaceful times if one of the princes is taking up arms. Insist we're all getting along while you're roasting kids behind his back. I'm surprised Jonathan didn't teach him a lesson, though."
"He was a bit busy trying not to cause an international incident. Otherwise, he might have. Maybe that would finally get him expelled."
"Maybe. Though if he got expelled for hurting Malcolm, who only got a slap on the wrist for what he did... Well, it would send a very clear message, wouldn't it?"
"The one we're already broadcasting is clear enough."
Warren hummed in agreement as a server came to see if they wanted anything. After Alex ordered a coffee Jack sauntered up to their table and plopped down in the seat next to Warren.
"Fuck Malcolm," he muttered as he sunk into his chair. "My social life is in shambles."
"Yes, his negative effect on your life is certainly the most nefarious thing he'd done recently," Alex said while Warren chuckled.
Jack rolled his eyes and sat up straight. "Thanks to him, Mary knows I lied about why we didn't go to her party. Now she's not only offended that we 'chose them over her', but that we felt the need to lie to her about it. And of course, since Mary is pissed about it so is everyone else. Hannah won't stop talking shit either. I swear one day I'm going to sock her."
"No, you won't," Alex and Warren both said at the same time. Jack scowled at them.
"I would so! It's called equality. New wave feminism. Girls who talk shit deserve to get- God, it feels wrong coming out of my mouth, doesn't it?"
"That you're a feminist if you hit women?" Warren said. "Yes, yes it does."
"Are you here because your friends exiled you for ratting them out?"
"No, though I'm sure they know it was me." Warren looked over at Mary's table to see the daggers she was still aiming at Jack and sighed. "I'll go talk to her. Calm down a bit. Good luck today."
"Thanks, Warren," Alex said as he stood up. "And for Saturday, again."
"It was nothing."
"But it did something. Something meaningful. So, thank you."
Warren looked like he wanted to shrug off the thanks again, but he just nodded and shuffled off with his things.
"Does everyone hate you now?" Alex asked.
"Don't feel sorry for me, Al," Jack said, waving a hand as if he was unbothered by that prospect despite complaining about it two seconds earlier. "I never really liked any of you Brits anyway."
"Whatever you say, Captain Yankee."
"Do you know what's pissing me off the most? So many of them are siding with Malcolm. They think your uncle's punishment was too harsh, just because he didn't throw a punch. Allie Carter dared to call him harmless. Like he's some sad little victim."
"They weren't there," Alex pointed out.
"Well, we were. So they should all shut up and listen to me."
"Are they not?"
"They think I'm overreacting. They think I'm biased. Because of my friends from home." Jack scrunched his nose. "Jason Mellows said I was too sensitive because of my 'pets' back home."
"What?"
"He said it under his breath and denied it when I called him out. I had to walk away to keep myself from punching his teeth out. Can't guarantee I'll do the same if I see his face again."
"I'm sure he knows that. He'll make himself scarce."
"Here's hoping he doesn't."
"Eloise said you can sit next to her during art today, by the way."
Jack raised his eyebrows. "Really?" he said, sounding incredulous. "She seemed pissed at me on Saturday. Screamed at me to get out like I was the devil incarnate."
"If she hated you, she would have let Emilio beat you up. She probably just didn't want another fight to start. She didn't seem angry when I talked to her."
"What did you two talk about? You finally ask her out?"
"No... I told her I would want a sister like her."
"Dude-"
"I know, I know. But I figured out that's how I felt. And she didn't seem offended by it. Besides, either way, I can't talk to her anymore."
"Your uncle's not a fan," Jack guessed.
"I know you said your dad was mad you asked Miranda out, but did he ever try to scare you away from even being friends with her?"
"Kind of. He's a lot less blatant about his prejudices, but they're still there. Probably as strong as anyone else's. But being upfront about it is considered outdated now. We Americans like to keep it sneaky, you know? Plus, it's a little different with Miranda. Her family's loaded. Her mom's a surgeon and her dad's some big-time actor. Lineage matters less when someone's got the cash. But most of the scholarship kids here are middle class at best."
"But you didn't let your dad stop you. Or you wouldn't have if Miranda had said yes and he was upset. Because you care about her more than you're afraid of him."
Jack leaned in and looked at Alex with a more serious expression than Alex was used to seeing on him. "You don't need to feel guilty about being afraid of your family, Alex," he said in a quiet and steady voice. "And stop comparing yourself to the rest of us. To me, especially. My dad got over the fact that I'm a screw-up a long time ago. Plus, with Ronin and Mickey competing so hard for 'the perfect son', it's not exactly like he needs to worry about me. But it's different for you. And your uncle is a lot more high-strung about this stuff than my dad. You don't want him taking his anger out on you again. Being afraid is nothing to be ashamed of."
Alex tensed when Jack said again. He hadn't insisted on knowing where the cut on his lip had come from after Alex waved off the question the first time. He had hoped Jack wouldn't bring it up again.
"Since it's not a big deal," Alex said, hoping they could steer the conversation away from his uncle, "you won't mind sitting with her?"
"Are you kidding? It's what I've been waiting for. And you're sure she's okay with it?"
"Uh-huh. She said you can be our messenger pony."
"Ha ha, very funny," Jack said as the clock chimed to signal the end of breakfast. "What? I didn't even get to eat!"
"Want to swing by the stables and grab some apples?"
"You have ten seconds to start running before I kick you in the shins."
Alex half believed that threat, so he picked up his things and half ran to his chemistry class. Jack was a couple of minutes behind him and lightly flicked Alex's ear as he joined him at their lab table. Their teacher wasn't in yet, but students were filing in. Alex noticed the air tense when Connor walked in and went to his usual seat at the back, his only partner being an empty barstool. Laurent and his lab partner, Trevor, shot him dirty looks from where they sat.
"Can't believe one of them ran to my father just because Malcolm showed up," Laurent muttered. "We going to get in trouble every time one of them gets scared?"
"Why don't we find out?" Trevor said, turning around like he was about to get up. Alex wasn't sure what he was planning on doing, but before he could even think about reacting Trevor froze. Without Alex noticing Warren had entered the room. He abandoned the spot in the front he had been sitting in the week before and sat down on the empty stool next to Connor. Connor looked at him with an apprehensive expression, but Warren's gaze was fixed on Laurent and Trevor. He stared them down with a stoic face until they both withered and turned around. Once he won the staring contest Warren looked at Connor with a small but supportive smile.
"Warren," he said, holding out a hand in greeting.
"Connor," he replied quietly.
"Cheers, mate."
Alex faced forward as Warren and Connor kept chatting. No one except Laurent and Trevor seemed bothered by that, but they seemed to notice that. So, they just sat with their anger and didn't bother them again.
"Classy move, Warren," Jack said to himself, his tone approving. "Classy guy. I was going to punch them."
"I have a feeling they'll give you another chance. I was thinking you might successfully get yourself expelled this time."
Jack frowned. "Hm, maybe I should try to take points from Warren, then."
"You've grown that fond of our dreary little island?"
"Well, no way am I going to leave you on your own."
"Aw, that's-"
"You'd get your ass kicked by that Spanish dude in like five minutes flat."
"Gee, thanks," Alex said while AJ hummed in agreement.