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Friday Nights

He hates Friday nights. Well... Not really- maybe hate is too strong a word- dislike- Jay thinks with a nod- he definitely dislikes Friday nights. Not that he shouldn't but he finds that his Friday nights are usually spent alone in the dorm room stuck with a pile of books and homework while everyone else goes out with friends or go on dates.

Jay has friends. He has Adam and randy- except on Friday nights. He sighs and opens his literature book to the appropriate chapter- on Fridays Adam and randy went out on dates with girls they'd asked out- Jay thinks they're having some sort of contest- their rivalry hasn't really ebbed since their childhood- although it's less violent and less focused on Jay- Adam and randy still tended to bicker and taunt each other like the rivals they were but their attentions were also divided with school, homework, other friends, and the next girl of the week.

Jay sighs and flips through the book dispassionately, unlike Adam and randy who'd somewhat been gifted with astonishingly good looks (he's been told time and again by several schoolmates, classmates and even upperclassman and a dozen teachers who were drawn to the chiselled looks) Jay remained baby faced and too thin and awkward to pass for a high school student- he usually needed to pin his ID to his shirt else the guards refused to believe he was anything but a senior.

It wasn't like he had any difficulty catching the attention of the women- but it turned out more often than not- they were much more interested in his roommates rather than Jay himself- and so he swore off the women- feeling disheartened and somewhat finding himself uninterested- he couldn't understand Adam and randy's avid fascination with the opposite sex. And Jay didn't want to hear their reasons either- last time that had happened Jay had to lock Adam out of the dorm and beg randy not to give him the key.

He shook his head and resigned himself to his fate and tried to read Shakespeare's biography.

It was still early- randy thinks somewhat sourly as he unlocks the room he's been sharing with Jay and Adam- he's expecting no one, thinks again that its still too early but is mildly surprised to see someone hunched over a stack of books and sleeping soundly- he checks the hair length- notes with satisfaction that it's Jay (he really didn't want to see Adams face especially since he was in a bad mood) and drapes his jacket over slender shoulders- absently notes how Jay has yet to grow out of childish features. He peers to read the half written report that's practically scribbled lopsidedly on several papers- smiles when he sees several misspelled words that taper to squiggles that end the report. Jay mumbles something and buries his face deeper in his arms he's usig as pillows with several other books. Randy decides to spare him the strained neck

"Jay," gives a gentle nudge, "Jay wake up"

The blonde head raises off from his nest and blue eyes look groggily at randy before Jay yawns and stretches- catches the edges of the jacket that is too big for him- randy eyes the long limbs- making up the gangly frame- there's a grace there that he can appreciate and he draws his prying eyes away- feels strange for a moment before telling himself that it's Jay for crying out loud and tries to poke fun at his friend to hide his awkwardness

"so... Come up with something aside from drool on the report?"

Jay mumbles something and rubs at his eyes, "Randy?" glances sleepily at Randy who's perched on his desk and picked up one of the tomes he'd borrowed from the library, "where's Adam?"

Randy shrugs, feeling somewhat irked just hearing that name, "who knows." he drops the book with a satisfying thud- feels sheepish when Jay jumps at the sound and gives a sorry grin

"you're early... How'd it go with um... Jessica?" Jay has to be careful- he sometimes confuses Adam and randy's girls and he can barely keep track of the jenny's and mary's that has passed from their lips- the one time he got it wrong both boys went at each others throats in retaliation thinking the other had crossed some territorial line before Jay had apologised profusely for the mix up. They'd made him do their chores for a week and Jay did not want a repeat of that- death threats and chores- such a horrible horrible mix.

"Anna." randy makes a face, "shellfish allergy."

"Oh." Jay frowns for a moment, absently sinks into the jacket blanketing him "is she okay?"

"she won't die, if that's what you mean." randy says absently, it bothers Jay how little he cares for the girls he dates. "what are you doing back here?"

"homework" Jay answers with a groan- he can't remember what he's read- he's probably zoned out after the first sentence and just plod through it till he fell asleep.

"Jay it's Friday" randy reminded- as though Jay needed reminding- if he and Adam agreed on something- it was usually regarding Jay- and they both knew how absentminded Jay could be. "nobody does homework on Friday nights."

Jay shrugged, "I didn't have anything else to do." he picks at the material of the jacket, tries not to look sullen or 'puppyish'

Randy frowns, "what? No date?" sees that it's a subject Jay isn't eager to talk about and he changes it, "how about the guys?"

Jay doesn't look at randy, "they're out. You know, dating and stuff."

"Jay, you're a senior- don't tell me you haven't gotten over that bitch who burned you"

Jay doesn't answer- knowing that if he does, randy and Adam will try to hook him up with someone and those hook ups have ended in ways that would have sent Jay to the asylum or permanently scarred.

Randy rubs the back of his neck with a sigh, he wonders why no one would want Jay- the kid was perfect- intelligent- had quite a mouth to go with that brain- funny- and those eyes- randy stops- stares at nothing and realises he's going on and on as though he was the one who- he abruptly stands up- thinks his brain is losing it

"randy? You okay?" Jay asks from the chair- he looks small- dwarfed by randy's jacket and the books he's gathered before him and randy can't help but think him cute.

"yeah... Perfect" he mutters weakly, Jay looks at him curiously before tries to resume his reading.

Randy watches Jay, knows he is going to tuck that pen on his ear and promptly forget it's there- grab another pen to chew the cap off- he knows this from late night study sessions they have- tutoring each other- he knows Jay will want some coffee- with three packs of creamer and four packs of sugar- knows Jay will reach for that irritatingly bright yellow green marker and begin to highlight important parts- and stick several sticky notes on the margins with scribbles only the three of them can discern- knows that Jay will still end up falling asleep on all those books- wake up late the next day and randy or Adam will have to help him pack for first period with a poptart tucked in his pocket.

He wonders if Adam takes note of every subtle movement Jay does- because randy does. Every single time.

He should find it eerie how much he knows about Jay yet nothing about Adam- and they already knew each other for the better half of their lives- his eyes trail over jays form- his lips twitch a smile when Jay nibbles on the pencap- frowning in concentration- and randy doesn't think it's eerie because it's Jay. There's just something about Jay that he can't pin point- something different- something...

"are you sure you're okay?" Jay asks, looking at randy, "coz smiling by yourself in a corner is generally a sign of crazy."

"haha dexter, c'mon, get up." randy pushes himself away from the wall he's leaning on and heads for the door, grabs his car keys off the key ring Jay had tacked near the door.

Jay frowns, like how randy pictures he would, "what? Why? Where are we going?"

yes where would they go? He wouldn't dare drag Jay to any bar as much as he wanted to- he just couldn't. "I know a pizzeria downtown that stays open late, c'mon." he nods toward the partially open door, lingers long enough to see blue eyes widen in surprise and momentary confusion as Jay weighs going out with randy or doing his homework months before it's even called homework- it's an easy choice.

Jay gets up, closes his books and arranges the stuff on his desk- makes to shrug off randy's jacket-

"keep it on- it's cold outside" randy says quickly before Jay can remove the item- he likes looking at Jay this way- jacket pooling around skinny elbows- that blonde head tilted in a questioning manner before dismissing randy's weirdness and muttering about shellfish poisoning and randy sees him zip up the jacket- smiles, pleased, when Jay gives him another look and randy holds the door open and locks it as they leave- Adam has his own key anyway.

The cd in randy's stereo is coincidentally jays favourite band- he wonders how long it's been there as Jay sings along- vaguely recalls several girls wanting to change the cd and randy had vehemently refused- randy glances at Jay- finds it amusing that he's playing with the ends of the long sleeves- pulling on them childishly- but it suited Jay- randy couldn't picture him so perfectly otherwise.

They place their orders, randy notes with some satisfaction that jay chooses his meal carefully- he's something of a blossoming Scrooge that way.

"my treat" randy says and orders for Jay before he can protest, smirks triumphantly at him and they argue about it lightly as they sit in the cubicle in the corner

They talk about things- complain about teachers, classmates (randy swears will pay those bullies a visit) and several subjects they're both having a hard time with- move on to movies, music- and their food arrives- they laugh at each other as they eat- randy smiles- sees how Jay meticulously eats his pizza- and randy flings some fries at him for kicks- and Jay gapes in shock and they start a mini food fight until randy accidentally squirts the hot sauce on Jay and they both head to the bathroom with Jay whimpering like a kicked puppy and randy feeling like the biggest asshole in the world

"still hurts?"

Jay nods and presses randy's wet handkerchief to his injured eye- "oh man... I still have that chapter to read..."

"I'll do it for you" randy says easily- wonders when he has ever become such a martyr... Only for Jay.

"I think it's starting to- ow-ow- okay no..." Jay sighs- he leans over the sink to splash some water on it- finds it hard to keep it open and shuts it again and covers it with the handkerchief- the water cools his skin. "another reason to not like Friday nights"

"sorry Jay." randy apologises wholeheartedly, wants to touch- stops himself before he does something he will hate himself for.

"nah- it's okay... Thanks for taking me out though." Jay says gratefully, "it was fun." he doesn't remember having as much fun on a Friday night.

"why don't you like Fridays anyway?"

Jay shrugs, "it's lonely on Fridays."

Oh. Randy feels like hitting himself- Fridays- he and Adam went out with their respective dates Friday nights- and Jay... Jay was just there... Sees a picture of Jay waiting up for then but ends up falling asleep- it explains why he or Adam finds him sleeping on book each Friday. They'd just assumed he came in early... He felt more of a dick than he did with the hot sauce.

"you should've said something." randy says quietly after he tucks Jay in- theyve replaced the hanky with some ice and even if Jay says he's fine and valiantly struggles to finish his reading- randy shoots one glare and Jay obediently allows randy to fuss over him.

"I didn't want to ruin your nights out" Jay says sleepily- "oh- your jacket-"

"seriously, your eye has hotsauce in it- I'm sure I can live without that jacket for a while."

"it's a nice jacket." Jay compliments drowsily

"next Friday..."

"hm?"

"go out with me next Friday?"

Jay grins, "no more hotsauce?"

"... I won't promise that- I will promise you my undivided attention though" randy compromises with a smile

"deal." Jay yawns, glad for once it's Friday.

"so does this mean I can kiss you goodnight?" it's a joke- sort of. He doesn't allow himself to even dare think of the consequences

But somehow it slips pass Jay and he just sticks his Tongue out and says, "I don't put out on the first date orton"

"good." randy says quietly, smiles sombrely as Jay turns to his side- eyes fluttering shut.

"oh..." Jay sits up and pecks randy's cheek quickly- and randy feels himself heat up from that single show of affection- he stares at Jay who snuggles back underneath the covers,

"doesn't mean I can't kiss you goodnight though," Jay says with a sleepy smile that makes randy's insides feel like mush and fluttery wings at the same time, "thanks randy- really."

"anything for you Jay." and while it's what he always retorts- he finds himself meaning every single word as he watched those breaths even out, "everything for you."