Ah. Here we are. Okay, sorry for the wait. I honestly couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with them that wouldn't be ridiculously boring, you know? Like… Now Nick knows, and for the past week every day I was just like "All their going to do is go to school and worry all over the place" and I figured you guys didn't want to read that. SO LEGGO WITH THIS CHAPTER NOW!

"Jeff, please. You need to eat something," Nick begged, his heart tightened in anxiety. He felt bad, calling Jeff out in front of literally every Warbler, but the blonde seemed to be refusing to acknowledge all of his previous veiled pleas. It wasn't exactly his fault that it had come down to this. Jeff picked at his tie, and Nick could see all the way down his sleeves to his elbows, them gapping at the wrist much more than they were supposed to.

"I have eaten, Nicky. I had breakfast like you wanted," Jeff responded quietly in his ear, as if a half a bowl of cereal could possibly account for anything. Nick could see the blush creeping up his neck as he leaned in close. He crossed his arms around his middle, looking uncomfortably at the untouched salad on Jeff's plate. He could feel his glee club member's questioning eyes on them, but now wasn't a time for Nick to be embarrassed. That was Jeff's job. His was to get him to eat.

"Just a couple bites. You need to get something in you." Jeff's nose twitched, and he looked down at his meal, lost. Like he forgot how to make it happen. He slowly picked up his fork, though, and Nick watched closely as he nibbled away at a few stray lettuce leaves. "There. That's not too hard, is it?" Jeff didn't look at him.

Nick didn't know what Jeff's mom had said to him to make this happen, but he did know that his best friend wasn't eating anything. At all. And that wasn't okay with Nick. It wasn't okay how thin his already too-skinny roommate was getting. It wasn't okay how Jeff looked beyond guilty any time he put something in his mouth. It wasn't okay how he would disappear all afternoon, only to come back almost too sweaty and worn out from the dance studio.

He didn't even have practice.

It was scary to see someone so close to him deteriorate like Jeff was. In fact, it was way scary. Jeff was so important to Nick and also one of the most impossible crushes he had ever had. He had so much going on… Nick figured it would be ridiculous for Jeff to truly notice him, meanwhile he was watching Jeff's every move; he had to protect him, after all. And that's what made it impossible. Everything Nick had went into Jeff, making him incapable of loving him any more, but Nick felt like Jeff's eyes just rolled over him. And it hurt. It hurt every time.

Because yes. Nick truly did love Jeff. He loved the way his hair seemed permanently at a length where his bangs nearly stabbed him in the eyes. He loved the way his smile, albeit rare, could light up an entire room. He loved the curve of his cheek when he turned to talk to him in the car, even if they were growing hollow now. He loved his sense of humor. He loved his nose, and his hands, and his knees, and his wrists, and his calves... They were parts of Jeff. How could he not? He loved his dance, and all the emotion he put into it, and how much it meant to him.

Nick loved Jeff.

Jeff didn't love Nick.

And Nick really needed him too.

Nick needed Jeff to trust him again. He was so scared of everything that was going on, and he had to understand. He had to understand him, know what happened in his past that made everything go to hell… What had he glazed over before? What other hints had he missed? When did it all go wrong? Why wasn't anyone stopping what was going on?

All these questions, and Jeff just seemed so normal. Aside from his still slightly yellow and swollen cheek and skinnier frame, he was just the same. He was goofy during Warbler practice, and hilarious in every conversation, and game for anything… It was like nothing had happened, like everything was normal.

And Nick supposed that was the scariest part to him, how this was normal: Jeff obviously thinking bad thoughts about himself. Like… all his actions weren't acting to keep his secret. It was just him dealing and coping, and… being normal.

Eventually, the lunch bell rang, leaving Nick's food surprisingly untouched and Jeff's salad bowl still three quarters full. Crap… did that just say too much.

"Ready, Jelffaba?" he asked, threading his fingers through Jeff's. The blonde snagged a napkin and rubbed his already spotless face clean before nodding excitedly, dragging him through the hallway to get to French.

"Think we're doing anything, today?" he asked, and Nick couldn't help but laugh a bit at the idea.

"Oh my gosh, no. No. We never do anything in that class; Mme Deppen, bless her heart," Nick lamented as Jeff slowed their pace, his eyes –never having lost their light- twinkling in amusement cause, yeah, they never actually did anything in French. On Friday, the two had managed to do nothing but care for their Simms in class, despite it being a ninety-minute period.

"Hmm… You're probably right," Jeff agreed as Nick fell into step next to him, and then a serious expression took over his friend's face. "Look… Nick. Do you think that maybe you couldn't… bring attention to me or anything at lunch, cause like… I don't want anyone to think I'm crazy, and now all the Warblers probably do, and…" Jeff trailed off, and Nick pulled him into a girl's bathroom, ignoring the heavy breathing emanating from one of the stalls. They both weren't here…

"I would, Jeff, but if that's what it takes to get you to eat something, then-" Nick paused as two students –presumably seniors- sheepishly exited the first cubical, zippering their pants as they left. Nick gave them an apologetic smile for ruining the mood. #GirlsBathroomProblems. "I don't know Jeff… You can't keep running on E, and I know you may not like it, but I'm not going to let you." Jeff looked at him with sad eyes before running his fingers through his hair and turning away.

"You don't get it," he said, blazer raising awkwardly, having lifted the sleeves, and Nick could see his thin middle.

"Then help me," Nick replied. "Jeff… I really do want to understand, and you're so leaving me hanging… I can't begin to imagine what anyone could say to you to make… this happen, but… But I don't get it. You're right. So help me." Nick said, more than a little happy that this moment was finally happening. Jeff looked at him skeptically, his cheeks turning more than a little rosy.

"I can't… I can't just tell you," he whispered, looking to his toes in a decidedly ashamed manner, and Nick was confused.

"Why not?" Jeff frowned, and scratched the back of his calf awkwardly.

"Because it's probably true, and Nick… I can't have you… I can't have you say it's true and… and I don't know… cause then it's you, and her, and… And I don't know," he rambled, eyes never meeting Nick's, seemingly eternally locked on one of the tiles on the floor. It was Nick's turn to frown. He took a couple steps to his friend, grabbing both of his hands and ducking a little to catch his eye.

"Jeff, you… I don't think I could possibly believe a word out of your mom's mouth if it leads to you feeling like… feeling like there's something wrong with you," he assured, dancing around the more negative parts of their situation carefully. Jeff eventually looked up, and Nick was and wasn't surprised to find his eyes rimmed red.

"It's not even a big deal, Nick. I just promised I'd lose weight," he finally answered, and Nick took him in for a minute before slowly pulling him into a hug.

"Why would you do that?" he asked into his shoulder after a prominent pause. Nick felt Jeff tense in his arms and then start to shudder. Oh gosh… Nick hated this. He hated how things like this could happen. It honestly tore him apart inside to see his best friend so upset and… and ruined. Jeff couldn't speak for a minute, Nick able to feel the way his words were caught in his throat, and when he did, his speech was broken and difficult.

"Sh-she-ee a-ask'd what I… I was eat-eat-ing, a-and s-said that ev'ry t-t-time she saw… saw me, I… I gained wh-wh-wh-" Jeff took a pause, gulping in air before starting again, "Weight. And th-that she… she didn' pay m-my d-dance class bills for… for… for me t-t' jus' b-be f-f-fa-faggier," he pushed out. Nick was floored, and Jeff was sobbing.

"Shit… Jeff… Jeff. Don't worry about that, okay? That couldn't be more wrong… You're perfect and… and you don't need to do try to do that for her. You're too skinny, now. You need to eat and… and relax. You're pushing yourself too hard for nothing," Nick iterated. Jeff slumped a little on him, dejection evident in the way he held his shoulders.

"It's not for nothing, Nicky… I promised. I need… I never d-do wh-what she wants… a-and… I've gotta… I've gotta t-try to m-make her hap… happy." Anger coursed through his veins.

"Jeff, it seems to me that you could never make her happy," Nick spat, and then… and then Jeff was gone. He had pulled away from him, fear and an odd kind of resigned sadness taking over his green eyes, and… and, oh. Oh. "Wait, Jeff, I didn't mean-" he tried to say, but Jeff cut him off.

"It's fine, I mean… I knew-I know…" but Jeff didn't finish his sentence before turning on his heel and running out of the bathroom, turning just after Nick caught a few stray tears rolling down his face. Okay… Okay, no. N-no.

"Jeff, wait!" Nick yelped, running after him, but the blonde was already gone, and Nick had no clue which way he went. Damn Dalton and its freaking maze of a floor plan. He picked a hall and followed it.

Thank goodness they weren't doing anything in French.

I'm thinking that it would be awesome to have another chapter tonight, but we'll see. I have two Niff one-shots in mind and some other stuff brewing…