CHAPTER 3

"See, wasn't it worth taking a break from studying to humiliate Derek like that?" Julian asked as the two of them returned to Logan's room.

"I suppose."

"Come on Lo, you know what I want to hear."

"Derek is an idiot?"

"No."

"I should get out of the bitter barn and play in the hay."

"Almost."

"You were right"

"Bingo! You should really trust me more often."

"I do trust you, but right now I just need to study." Logan grumbled already scribbling down notes from a textbook.

"Pfft, don't be a buzz kill. Come for a walk with me, or lets watch a movie or we could-"

"No, I cant now, I'm too busy. You go, I need to concentrate."

"Fine" Julian huffed, picking himself up from the sofa and stalking out the door.

"Diva" Logan muttered after he heard the slam of the door behind him.

"DEREK OPEN UP!" Julian yelled as he hammered on Derek's door after finding himself with nothing to do after Logan kicked him out.

"I know you're in there, just let me in already" He continued, yet received no response.

"Seriously D. The silent treatment. Fine, I am sorry that me and Logan embarrassed you. Happy?"

Julian continued to bang on his door, having given up on getting a response but continued only to annoy him. The diva sat in front of his friends door and settled down, knowing he would be there for a while. He had been there knocking for almost half an hour, when Bailey came up the stairs and approached him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, lowering his headphones.

"Annoying Derek."

"What?"

"Well he wouldn't answer the door so I am going to sit here and knock until he does"

"Yeah, I can see that, but-"

"I do not need one of your lectures about treating each other nicely and all that other crap, If your not going to help me knock, then you can just continue on your way." Julian snapped, he was really getting sick of everyone turning on him.

"Fine. See you later Julian."

"Yeah, bye." He mumbled back.

Sixty more minutes passed and Julian was beyond annoyed now. He had tried everything from bribery to blackmail but all to no avail.

"Ok, this isn't funny anymore Derek! You don't want me around, well fine! Have fun wallowing in your own misery, I am sure you and Logan will have a great time by yourselves, so fuck you Derek!" Julian finally yelled, as he marched down the stairs fuming at his two so called friends. However he didn't make it three steps before he ran headlong into someone else.

"What the hell Jules, don't you ever look where your going?"

Julian looked up from the ground only to see a clearly sweaty Derek with a gym bag slung over his shoulder.

"Derek?" Julian groaned from where he had fallen on the ground.

"Yeah, who else Princess?" Derek replied helping Julian up.

"What? But-, you-, and I- " Julian stuttered.

"Yes?" Derek prompted.

"Screw you!" Julian retorted before turning on a heel and continuing down the stairs. Julian marched through the common room and went straight through the front doors.

Night had fallen over Dalton Academy and the grounds were deserted. Julian made his way to the gardens and greenhouses, enjoying the light trickling of rain that was starting to fall even though it was a cold night. He enjoyed these moments, just time to be alone with his thoughts. He was able to pull himself together, and collect all his thoughts. The rain was slowly increasing throughout Julian's walk, so much so, that by the time he had reached the greenhouses it was starting to hail. He loved to stand and walk in the rain but hail was completely different, it wasn't refreshing it was painful.

He quickly took advantage of a greenhouse that had been left open, presumably by Charlie as he rushed out to attend to some new Windsor disaster. Julian closed the door behind himself and made his way through the flowers and ferns towards the only bench. After brushing off the dirt and placing the clippers on the ground, he stretched out along the length of it, with his feet dangling off the edge.

Julian closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the hail hitting the roof of the greenhouse, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. He knew that he shouldn't have snapped at Derek like he did, but after already getting kicked out by Logan and wasting an hour and a half knocking on the door of an empty room the pent up frustration was at a tipping point.

Julian just stayed there too absorbed in his own thoughts of Logan, Derek and himself, to consider moving. He knew that Logan took his study seriously, and that asking for him to leave hadn't been unreasonable, but Julian just thought that Logan cared, that he would want him around, that he wouldn't toss him to the side like everyone else had. Julian pulled himself out of those thoughts before they overwhelmed him, it would be hard to explain if he returned to Stuart with red rimmed eyes from crying.

It was long past curfew by now, but Julian knew that Logan probably would have been to busy studying to lock up tonight and if he did he would open the doors for Julian if he called him. He reached his hand into his blazer pocket, looking for his phone, only to find it empty.

"Shit." He murmured to himself, searching the pockets of his pants, still finding nothing.

Julian decided to make his way back to Stuart anyway, knowing that there was bound to be someone still in the common room that could open the door for him. He pulled himself up off the bench and brushed the few traces of dirt from his blazer before making his way to the door. He was prepared to fling the door open and run through the rain and hail all the way back to Stuart but when he brought his hand to the door, the handle only rattled in place.

It was locked.