Hercules

Lafayette hadn't returned to our dorm for a few days. Unfortunately, I was starting to get worried. I knew my friends were assholes, but I didn't think they would be bad enough to warrant running my roommate out of the dorm. Especially if said roommate seemed so confident and brave and...

I felt like such an idiot. Why couldn't I just stand up to my friends and their bullshit? Pretending to agree with them wasn't going to fix anything, and I knew it.

But that was a different issue. What I needed to focus on first was getting Lafayette back, regardless of how scared of doing that I was. The biggest question was how.

I paced around the dorm, trying to figure out what to do. I had no idea where Lafayette was, or what to say to him, or what to do. I didn't even know what he liked, besides the obvious other guys and video games.

And that was it. What was that game called? The Quest of...no definitely not. The Legend of...who was it? I bit my lip and looked at Lafayette's room. Do I dare go in? I already had my hand on the doorknob before I had an answer.

Lafayette's room was actually quite nice. I didn't know what any of his posters were for, or what any French words I saw meant, but I had to admit that everything was bright, colorful, and organized.

The closet door was closed, but it wasn't like I had to open it, anyway. Covering the door was a large poster. It portrayed a forest scene with a decorated sword in a triangle-shaped stone. The words on the poster read, "The Legend of Zelda". And there was my answer.

I hurried out of the dorm and began a new search.

Lafayette

Musical rehearsal was the only thing that was keeping me stable, anymore. All my friends around me and supporting me, and a script and songs to distract me from...everything else.

I had been staying in John and Alex's dorm ever since Hercules had last had his friends over. I was over him, now, I was sure of it. Hated him, even. Well, hate is a strong word. I disliked him, for sure.

But I couldn't think about that, now. Crying in frustration was not what I was supposed to do on stage. He was supposed to confront Sweeney Todd, then die dramatically. This I could do.

I let myself collapse onto the ground after Alexander pretended to draw a blade across my throat. I lie there, motionless, while Alex talked to Angelica Schuyler, or while Sweeney Todd talked to Mrs. Lovett. I enjoyed this scene; it was relaxing to just lie on the on the set and not have to do anything.

"What the hell are you interrupting my show for?" Angelica shouted.

That's not in the script.

I looked up. Angelica was the director as well as an actor, so if she stopped the practice, there was always a good reason why. If someone walked in, they usually brought food for the cast.

This person wasn't a delivery man.

I nearly screamed when I saw him. The connard walked into the theatre in a tight t-shirt and a beanie as if he hadn't done anything wrong.

Hercules was stammering at Angelica's yell. "Um...I wanted to talk to...uh..." He looked at me. Without thinking, I scrambled up and bolted offstage. John was standing behind the curtain, clearly confused as to why I had left my position.

"What's wrong?" John asked, holding my shoulders to stop me from pacing.

"Il-Il est ici..." I babbled in panic and anger. "Ce fils de pute..."

"Laf, I don't know French."

"Lafayette!" Angelica yelled from the stage. I whimpered and shook my head. I knew I shouldn't be scared-I was pissed off-but I couldn't help it. "Hurry up! I would like to keep rehearsing!"

"Come on, man." John pushed me back onto the stage. My eyes locked onto Hercules and didn't stop staring. He nodded in and awkward greeting. I gulped heavily. Angelica was urging me off the stage, and it was considerably dangerous to deny her, so I hesitantly stepped down the stairs. I was suddenly standing right in front of the bane of my existence, with no escape.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. "What do you want?"

"Um..." Hercules' mouth resembled one of a fish, moving without making noise. Finally, "I, uh, I wanted to, um...apologize?"

That shocked me slightly. Still, I shot back, "Are you sure? You seem confused."

"No, yeah, I-"

"Are your friends outside, waiting to come in and call us all gay for being in a musical?"

"What? No, why would they...they won't come anywhere near this building."

"So you're here to do their dirty work. Wonderful. Can I get back to rehearsal?" I crossed my arms and started to turn away.

"Your character is dead, now," Hercules stared. "You don't need to be up there, anymore."

I stopped in my tracks. Curse his knowledge of Sweeney Todd.

"Please, just hear me out," Hercules practically begged.

Well, at least he said please. I faced him, again. "Fine."

Hercules exhaled. "Listen, I know my friends are assholes-"

"Yet you didn't try to stop them."

"They're still my friends. I-"

"So you're too scared of losing the only people who like you to tell them that they are being rude."

"Well-"

"Have you ever considered trying to make friends with nicer people?"

"Yes!" Hercules seemed shocked when I didn't try to cut him off this time. "I just...I don't know how. And no one else likes me, because I'm on the football team, which automatically makes me an asshole. Everyone has specific things they want me to like or ways they want me to act. And people like you are just confusing."

I raised an eyebrow. "How am I confusing to you?"

"I-I don't know."

"Mhm. Well, people like me, the 'confusing' ones, usually don't want you to act any way besides yourself. If that makes you feel any better."

"I...um..."

"Okay. Fine. Explain yourself." I waved him on. I wasn't set on forgiving him, yet, but I was willing to let him say sorry.

Hercules relaxed slightly. "I think you should come back to the dorm. You had to pay to stay in it, after all. It'd be a waste if you didn't. Also, I'd feel really bad if I had to stay with someone all of a sudden." He caught himself. "I mean, I doubt your boyfriend minds that you stay with him, but his roommate might, and-"

"I don't have a boyfriend," I said.

"Wh-What? But what about that guy-"

"My friend, Alexander? Sweeney Todd, up there. I've been staying with him and his boyfriend, John. I do feel a bit bad for being such a...another wheel, but after being so upset..."

"Right. Well, you should come back."

"You just telling me to return is not very trustworthy."

"I know that. So I...I got you something." Hercules held up a plastic bag and dug around in it before he pulled out two boxes. "You like this game, right?"

I inspected the boxes. They each held a Legend of Zelda figurine. "Yeah."

"I think they're, uh...this one is a wolf, I guess...I don't know what that has to do with anything...and this one is Zelda, I'm assuming?" Hercules held up the figure of a boy in a green tunic. I gasped and glared at him. "What?"

"His name is Link! Zelda is the princess, you idiot!"

Hercules hurried to say, "Sorry. I don't know anything about the game..."

"Obviously."

"Sorry..."

I sighed. "I appreciate the thought, but I already have these figures."

"Oh." Hercules deflated. "I...I can just return them and get you something else-"

"No!" I quickly grabbed the boxes. "I still want them. You didn't have to get me anything in the first place."

"I felt bad."

"I can tell." I smiled faintly at him. "Alright. You'll get your points back."

"Points?"