There seems to be some confusion about when this takes place. I thought it was rather obvious but apparently not :/ So notice how the numbers have been counting down? And chapter one was 0 hours? That's because all these chapters take place before chapter one. So the one night stand hasn't happened yet. The hours will start going up once we get to the point that Clay picks Desmond up from the neighborhood Altair lives in. Also you guys kinda freak me out with talking about Desmond being sort of like a slut... stop that, it's super creepy.


-21 hours

Desmond was leery as hell as he followed Clay into the band room. Well, not really the band room, they might get skinned if they went in there. But the band and chorus room were on the same hallway that was connected to the big auditorium, it was also like the only hallway that was actually inside aside for the ones in the main office. There were more than a few band nerds eating their lunch on the tile floor, talking and ignoring the two non band members.

Clay peered into the band room, where yet more band kids were. Seriously, did they fucking live here? Desmond had no idea how band kids worked, he sort of just assumed they had a lot of sex and then budded to create freshmen band nerds. He probably wasn't that far wrong actually, which was the terrifying part. He was however fearing for his friend's safety when he opened the door, sure that someone who either yell at him or just devour him whole. The band in Key West was really good, but they were also kinda terrifying, and really serious about what they did. "Clay," he said anxiously, since a few sun bronzed guys with more muscles then Desmond were sort of giving them both a look, as if they knew they didn't belong there.

"There he is," he heard Clay said, "Hey Rauf!" he called suddenly and slipped into the band room. Wary to be by himself Desmond followed after. Oh this was such a bad idea.

"What're you doing here Kaczmarek?" asked the older boy when they neared, "band room's for band members only during lunch. Desmond recognized the other guy, mainly from football games. He was Band Captain. During the marching season, like now, he had a shaved face but Desmond recognized him more with a beard, mainly because he was one of the few who could actually grow one (Cubans had trouble growing facial hair it seemed). He wasn't exactly a big guy, but he looked bigger then he was and was one of those badasses who marched with a fuck off huge sousaphone in half time shows.

"Hey, I was in band once, I consider myself an honorary member," Clay said with that damn sly grin of his.

Rauf sighed, "What is it?"

"Just turning the rumor mill," and Rauf laughed.

"I should have known, what you got?" and Desmond watched, more then a bit amazed as Clay spilled on gossip he'd told the others just earlier that lunch. "I swear you're worse then a girl, bud," he told Clay when he was done.

"Yeah and you band kids have the best gossip. Oh, also, theater kids started a betting pool for Ezio's new fling. Jeremy and I are keeping on tabs with the pool and it's a five buck minimum buy in." Desmond realized now that his friend was probably the reason most of those dumb betting pools actually started and made any money. Yet another of the ten things Clay did at once.

"I'll keep my money on this one," Rauf said simply.

"Damn, you always pick good times though," Clay pouted.

Rauf just smirked, "I think you should slow down Kaczmarek, you're scaring your friend," and Clay finally looked at Desmond who was looking at him like was the first time he'd ever seen his friend ever.

"What?" Clay asked.

"Dude," was all Desmond said, eyeing him. Clay grinned at him broadly.

Then Clay turned away from him, "So I shared my laundry, what you got?" and Desmond saw him whip out the mental notepad he kept that allowed him to remember entire classes nearly verbatim without notes as well as collect the most useless gossip.

"Well, we're playing Marathon next week and—" Desmond half tuned out after that. The rivalry between Key West and Marathon was legendary. The thing was though that Marathon, for a school two times smaller then them, had a really impressive football team. Now the Conchs were nothing to scoff at, but the Dolphins and them always went back and forth with win loss and whenever there was a game between the two teams they ended up on front page of the sports section of the Citizen and usually on the front of the main paper as a note that there was news about them. So much drama between two schools barely thirty miles apart.

The gossip column was only interrupted when the bell rang. "Well, have to go, later Rauf," Clay said and then was dragging Desmond away with a wave. Rauf just seemed amused as they entered the hall again which was now even more filled with band kids, some going into the band room or leaving the building for their classes.

"Why did you make me suffer through that?" Desmond asked once they'd grabbed their backpacks from where their friends were and agreed they'd meet at the party later and see who drew the short straw to be the designated driver, though Desmond would see Lucy later in English.

In typical Clay fashion however he didn't answer. "You see that guy in the band room with Rauf?"

"There were several," Desmond said with a groan as he headed towards chem, Clay for history.

"The one in the Captain office."

"I wasn't paying attention, no," Desmond admitted.

"Well, I was paying attention. It was Yusuf Tazim."

"Yeah, so?" Desmond rose a brow at him as the climbed the stairs up to the second floor with the rest of the mass.

"He's been there every day this week, and he's not in band, not only that he's in the Captain's office. Only the band leaders are allowed in there."

"I don't really see where you're going with this," Desmond sighed and they stood outside the pod doors to Clay's class as Desmond's was at the other end of the building, and he had to stop at his locker along the way anyway. "It's some mad conspiracy isn't it?" he asked as a pair of freshmen shoved between them, "Excuse you!" he snarled after them and flipped them off, they stared back at him briefly with put off eyes and muttered apologizes even as they continued to hustle to class.

"Dude, the mad conspiracies are the best though! Do you remember last year when I accurately said that Malik and Leo were going to be a thing, and two months later it was?"

"That's just because you're weird and way too interested in the lives of other people," Desmond said blandly.

"Only because mine is so fucking boring," at least Clay didn't front.

"So tell me your conspiracy," Desmond sighed, "I have to get to class."

"Okay, get this," Clay said and drew him close. "I totally think their a thing."

"Rauf and Yusuf?" Desmond blinked at him.

"Yeah," he nodded eagerly.

"You're nuts. Yusuf's strait as a damn arrow."

"So not."

"How do you know?"

"I have gym and bio with him."

"So what, does he ogle other dudes in the locker room?" Desmond sent him a look.

"No," Clay admitted at length. "But I actually have classes with him, you don't cause you're a high and mighty bad ass senior pants," and Desmond gave him a light, playful, shove.

"I think you're seeing what you want to see," Desmond informed him.

"I'm calling it now, before semester's over, Rauf will have jock ass."

"Uhg, you're so fucking weird man," Desmond said. "Betting pools on how long Ezio will keep a girlfriend and conspiring who's going to date who before it even happened, regardless of the fact that one of them is probably strait. Can't a jock and a band geek be friends and you not conspire?"

"Where's the fun in that though?" Clay asked with a pout.

Desmond rolled his eyes, "Go make a shipping chart or something, I have chem," and he stepped away from him.

"The fact that you know what a shipping chart is is suspect," Clay called after him, Desmond replied with a smart, one-fingered salute and Clay laughed as he shoved through the doors into his classroom pod.

Desmond headed towards his locker and switched out his books, taking out the ones he'd need for afternoon classes for the ones he currently carried for his morning classes. By now the breezeway was a lot emptier, the bell would be ringing soon and Desmond hustled to his class. The tardy bell ran as he was entering the pod and he quickly went in through the side door, since their teacher kept the one to the breezeway locked.

Thankfully his teacher was pretty chill and didn't mind that he was late, they were staring at their computer still and the class was busy talking. Desmond quickly found his seat at the lab table. His permanent lab partner (if only because they shared the same desk) was Caterina, a razor sharp ginger who honestly scared the living crap out of him and was one of those scary feminists who would make you fear the day you had a dick. But that was on her bad days, which weren't that often (though it was super obvious when she was on her period), and normally she was pretty nice, and really smart. She was also insanely pretty.

"You're late," she noted.

"Gossip mill was talking my ear off," Desmond explained with a shrug, they were good lab partners and Caterina sort of made it her business to make sure Desmond kept up in class since she refused to do work on her own as she was no one's mule. As such, Desmond was never late for class unless he couldn't help it, he liked to stay on her good side.

But she grinned at him, "He does have a big mouth for a little guy doesn't he?"

"He could talk Sookie under the table," Desmond groaned and Caterina laughed, Desmond grinned at her. "He's got some weird conspiracy theory about a new romance."

"Oh? Tell me?"

"No, cause it's dumb and he's insane," he scoffed.

"I guess I'll find out eventually. He's usually right."

"Don't tell me you believe his bullshit," he gave her an exasperated look.

"Well, he does seem to know eve- oh, hey Altair," Caterina cut off when the said senior came to stand in front of their desk.

"Hey Cat, I actually wanted words with your desk mate real quick. Sorry to break up your gossip," he said amused.

"If this is about yesterday, I am seriously totally fine," Desmond said looking up at the older boy, not like he hadn't heard it all up and down from his parents when he got home with a big red mark on his face, or this morning from his friends. Lucy liked to mother hen them, and while normally didn't mind the reason was embarrassing and he just wanted to forget it ever happened.

"What happened yesterday?" Caterina asked.

"Nothing happ-

"I hit Desmond in the face with a volleyball."

"You what?" she whisper yelled.

"It was an accident," Altair said raising his hands in defense and taking a step back. Even the big bad football player had a good respect for the fire cracker that was Caterina Sforza.

"How dare you," she said, obviously not mad, but making a play at it and grabbed Desmond by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug, his face dangerously close to her breasts. "If you harmed my precious lab partner I will kill you Altair, since no doubt the teacher will give me someone sub par to be my partner, like you," she said smartly.

"I'm fine though!" Desmond put in and pushed himself out of the danger zone that was Caterina's cleavage. "Seriously, I'm fine," and he dusted some non existent dust off himself.

"Everyone," the teacher called as Altair opened his mouth to reply, at last ready to start the class and Caterina flapped her hand at Altair who darted back into his seat as he started to call role. Before he left he sent Desmond another apologetic look and Desmond just rolled his eyes, pulling his homework from where he had put it in his textbook, next to him Caterina was doing the same, only from her binder. He really hoped this whole volleyball thing wouldn't continue, it was starting to grow old.

Desmond found Clay as they were walking to their cars after school was over and clapped his friend on the shoulder with both hands. "So how's the mad conspiracy?" he asked, slinging an arm across his shoulder as they walked to the back of the parking lot. Here there was always a few spaces open, it was just a bit of a walk. Better then being jammed up at the front of the lot though.

"Still mad," Clay said, throwing him a grin. "Also Shaun said he has a thing on Saturday he just found out about, parents sprung it on him, so he can't drink tonight. He's going to be the DD, easier that way."

"Yessss," Desmond did a fist pump into his side. "Well, at least we won't have to draw straws for this."

"Agreed," Clay nodded, "I mean this is the first, and probably only Auditore shin-dig we'll be going to, we should totally be able to enjoy ourselves."

"Well, except Shaun," Desmond said.

"He can drink some tea or something," and they both laughed. "We're still all meeting there at nine thirty, got it?"

"Yeah, I'll be there," Desmond said, "Though I don't really know where Ezio's house is," he frowned as they came to Clay's car, a beat up beach cruiser that had sand worked into every crevice as well as a large window decal of Salt Life on the back window and a myriad of insulting and funny bumper stickers, half of which were peeling off or faded from the heat.

"Call me when you get to the top of Shark Key, I'll guide you in, since knowing you you'll get there after me."

"You make it sound like I do it on purpose," Desmond pouted as his friend opened his car door.

"Know you, you probably do," Clay said giving him a look.

"Okay, I'll call you," Desmond agreed.

"Get ready to have an awesome time," Clay said excitedly and slid into his car and slammed the door closed. Desmond gave a curt wave to his friend before walking a few spaces over to his baby and pulled on his jacket and helmet. She was rumbling to life a moment later and he managed to slip out of the parking lot before Clay and before a good deal other cars who honked at him and yelled out their windows. Desmond just hurled insults right back at them and darted out onto Flagler.