Gansey didn't want to do Student Government. He had enough to govern without including the entire student population of Aglionby. But his mother had wanted, and he had wanted to please, so he put a check mark on the box next to Vice President, and here he was.
"Next order of business," said Tad Carruthers, School President, "The ballroom is already claimed for the night of Halloween, so we still don't have a place to hold our annual fundraising Halloween Scream Fling."
Eyes shifted around the room, and mouths murmured about how maybe if Tad hadn't started planning this 3 days before, the ballroom could have been theirs, dammit Tad.
"What about Gansey's place?" Henry Cheng spoke up, his dark eyes locked on Tad's, seeking approval. "Doesn't he live in a warehouse?"
Gansey tuned into the conversation for the first time today. He had been previously struggling not to look at the clock, because Adam and Ronan were waiting for him in the Pig, and Blue was probably already at Monmouth. This meeting was pointless.
"That would be . . . great," Tad said, turning to his VP, "Would you parents mind?"
"They're not in Virginia," Henry spoke before Gansey could. Several boys gave raised eye brows and hoots of appreciation.
"Halloween?" Gansey smoothed out the (empty) note paper in front of him, "I'm sorry, but I already have plans."
"Are you and Lynch trick-or-treating?" someone snickered loud enough to be heard.
Gansey was going trick-or-treating, but with Blue and her eight year old cousin, Nina. Noah had also volunteered, but unfortunately Ronan and Adam had declined in favor of a horror movie marathon. Gansey never understood the appeal.
"It can't be at my place," Gansey said, firmly, but friendly, "But maybe we can find somewhere else. Or we could make it a Thanksgiving Fling and rent the ballroom then."
"Well, if you change your mind," Tad said, a soft smile. "Now, does anyone have any questions we need to address?"
After a brief moment of silence, a curly haired boy's hand shot into the sky. After Tad nodded at him, he asked, "Even though it's, like, Thanksgiving themed or whatever, girls can still come in slutty costumes, right?"
Blue and Noah were sitting on the couch at Monmouth, watching a movie, and although Noah was thinking about Nemo, and Dory, and the rest of the characters, Blue's thoughts were where they'd been a lot recently. Stuck on Richard Campbell Gansey iii.
"Hey Noah," Blue said, suddenly. His eyes slid away from the screen.
"Why don't you just talk to him yourself?" Noah always knew. She hated that.
"I just . . . never mind." She folded her arms and leaned into the couch. He grabbed the remote and paused.
"Fine, ask me," he said, pulling his legs underneath him and turning his torso to her.
Blue waited a beat before talking, "Has Gansey ever said anything to you?"
Noah nodded, "Sure. Just this morning he said, 'bye Noah' and then he said, 'Noah, don't blend all those foods together' and then he said, 'I'm not going to drink that, throw it out, it's probably poisonous'-"
"Noah," Blue said, curtly. He knew what she meant. Maybe his avoiding the question was answer enough.
He glanced away, "It's not so much what he says. It's how he says it."
She didn't understand. And from the way her stomach was knotting, she couldn't ask anymore. Gansey was so beautiful, and she was so stupid for having feelings for that nerd. This couldn't end well.
And not only did she have feelings for him, but she thought about him all the time. About him in glasses, or on adventures, or just his lips. She'd been thinking more about his lips then usual lately. They looked perfect. It sucked.
"Hey," Noah said suddenly, "do you remember that time we-"
Blue cut him off with a kiss. It was quick, just a peck, and then they stared wide eyed at each other.
"Is this what you want?" Noah's eyes looked a million years older, searching her face for an answer that he already seemed to know.
"It's what I need," Blue breathed and then closed the distance between them again, this time for much longer. His hands in her hair, her legs wrapping around him. Lips on lips on necks. She wasn't lying. She needed this to live. If she didn't kiss someone in the next five minutes, she was going to lose her mind and kiss Gansey. And then she'd have to kill herself for being so reckless. How much longer did she have to be sensible about him? Forever? Him with his golden features and secret phone calls and a heart that could be seen from outer space. She deepened her kiss with Noah, but her mind went wild with Gansey. She wondered if Noah could tell. He probably could.
Gansey hopped out of the Pig, with Ronan and Adam close behind.
"C'mon, you guys," Gansey said, shrugging off the coat of his school uniform.
"You're the reason we're late for your girlfriend, Dick," said Ronan, half scowl and half smirk. Adam eyes cut to Gansey's.
"Don't be ridiculous. I just want to get some pizza already," Gansey folded his jacket over his arm and started for the door.
Adam nodded and put his hands in his pockets, "You know it's not like that with Blue."
"Scio nihil tale," Ronan said, casually and cruelly. "I think it's exactly like that."
"Well, it's not." Gansey said, shoving his key in the door in a huff, "and unfortunately, I don't know how to convince you that Jane and I are completely platonic." He swung open the door.
Blue and Noah broke apart when they heard, but it was too late. Adam's face was twisted in disbelief, Ronan had a huge, devilish grin, and Gansey looked broken in two.
"Okay, I'm convinced," said Ronan, gleefully.
Adam took a step forward, squinting like he was looking at the hardest problem on a math test, "You and Noah? For- since when-"
"It's not what you think," Blue blurted. Her back was rigid, and she began smoothing down her hair. She didn't know if she should look at Gansey or at anything else.
"Noah?" Adam turned to the ghost, who looked like a deer in headlights.
"I. . ." Noah's mouth was open, but he had no response. Slowly, he began to fade away, and no one moved, breathed, or spoke. And then, Blue was alone on the couch. That traitor.
Ronan felt on top of the world. It was probably selfish- no, it was definitely selfish- but now the only person Adam has ever dated was taken. Now Adam had to move on.
"Well," Ronan clasped his hands together and walked towards Blue, "the maggot and Noah. I'll admit, you could do worse. But I gotta say, you think with all the spelunking we do, you could've found a PDA place that wasn't in the middle of our living room. Nevertheless, I gladly accept my role as best man at your wed-"
"Shut up, Ronan," Blue felt like she was drowning, and finally she dared to glance at Gansey. His face was perfectly expressionless, and he was staring at the ground. She felt worse.
"This sucks, man," Ronan sauntered over to Adam and put a hand on his shoulder, "Maybe she only kisses dead guys."
Blue's head snapped clear, and she began her defense, "Noah and I aren't dating, or, or anything! We just kiss sometimes because it's just something that-"
"Sometimes," Adam cut her off with raised eyebrows. "Sometimes as in, this isn't the first time?"
Ronan's grin spread. She'd never seen him this happy, that asshole. "Is it always on the couch? Have you been in his room?"
"Ronan," she got up off the couch, "This is the second time. And it doesn't matter. It's none of your business and it's unimportant, so let's just go get some freaking pizza, and never talk about this." She brushed past Adam and Ronan, but stopped short when she saw Gansey. He looked up and their eyes met, but they didn't look like his eyes. They looked empty.
"I'm sorry, but I can't make it to dinner," He said, sounding like a politician answering an audience question, "I just remembered that I volunteered to host Aglionby's annual Halloween fundraiser here, and I'll need to get organized. Which also reminds me that I'll have to decline Trick-or-treating as well." He gave a sad smile that didn't look sad at all, "Give Nina my apologies." Then he walked straight to the staircase and left without another word.
Blue was internally kicking herself in the face. How could she have been so dumb?! She knew they were coming home- but she still kissed him, right there in the open. Maybe she secretly wanted to get caught. Maybe she was secretly sadistic.
"I'm getting Nino's." Ronan said, chipper. "You guys still coming? I'm guessing Noah is gonna stay gone for a while."
Blue slowly nodded, "Yeah. I have work at 6."
Adam looked at Blue, still slightly puzzled, "I'll come, too."
Ronan dropped his backpack on the floor and grabbed his car keys from the coffee table, "Great! I'll buy."